The term “ground rules” is often used in Montessori education to refer to the guiding principles that dictate appropriate behaviour within the classroom. These rules provide a framework for classroom conduct and play an essential role in establishing a respectful and collaborative learning environment[1].
At every age level, the ground rules in a Montessori setting are straightforward: children are free to engage with any materials or activities available in the environment, provided they do so with respect. They are expected not to harm the material, themselves, or others. By setting these boundaries, the ground rules promote an atmosphere of mutual respect, self-regulation, and responsible freedom[2].
Contents
- 1Montessori Quotes on Ground Rules
- 2Research and Critiques
- 3Comparison to Other Methods
- 4Glossary of Montessori Terms
- 5Please help to translate this page into your local language
- 6References
Montessori Quotes on Ground Rules
“Discipline must come through liberty… We do not consider an individual disciplined only when he has been rendered as artificially silent as a mute and as immovable as a paralytic. He is an individual annihilated, not disciplined.”
— Maria Montessori, “The Montessori Method”