When do you do your best, most creative, most engaged work? Is it when you have 30 minutes right before your next appointment–or when you have the luxury of a few uninterrupted hours to immerse yourself in whatever challenge you’re tackling?

A high-quality Montessori school offers students uninterrupted time to explore – anywhere from 2 to 3 hours per day – empowering children to acquire executive function skills and to “go deep” in their learning. At Evergreen Academy Montessori, we believe in this child-initiated, self-directed approach, and here’s why:

• • Autonomy fosters engagement and ignites the spark within. Research shows that all humans–adults and children alike–learn best and work best when they have autonomy.
  • Freedom and responsibility encourage the development of critical executive function skills. Montessori’s uninterrupted work period fosters the development of executive function skills such as the ability to self-regulate, acquire strong working memory, and practice cognitive flexibility.
  • Real learning and doing things yourself is fun–but it takes time and doesn’t conform to adult-imposed schedules. Independence and deep engagement take time and can’t be fit into 30-minute increments of adult-led group activities. 

Even more than adults, children need time–time to decide what to do and to do it themselves, at their own pace. Take a moment to watch this time-lapse video of a morning work period – you’ll be amazed by what these preschool students can do!