What does it mean to “Follow the Child?

“Following the child” is one of the core tenets of a Montessori classroom, but it is often misunderstood as allowing a child to do whatever he wants. As celebrated in song, the child might not get what she wants, but she gets what she needs. Through observation of the child and a deep understanding of child development, a Montessori teacher is able to present the child with the lessons and works for which he is ready. A Montessori teacher also knows that children develop according to their own individual timetables, so instead of expecting all children to learn in the same way at the same time, she takes into account where the child is at and what the logical next steps should be. This is why the children in a Montessori classroom are all doing different things – they are all working on what they need to do.