The Wonder Years

A Successful Science Experiment in the Lower School Classroom

Too often today, children are over-stimulated by screens, over-scheduled with after-school activities, and overloaded with “busy work” in their classrooms. They end up both burnt out and bored. It can feel as though the joy has been stripped away from simply being a child.

What children need are experiences, not entertainment. They need to learn in ways that connect to their natural instincts. Montessori education is built on the belief that children are innately curious, creative, and driven to explore. When the classroom opens itself to their imaginations and interests, students gain far more than knowledge—they discover fulfillment in the learning process itself.

This child-centered approach prioritizes each student’s needs, interests, and learning style. It emphasizes active, hands-on engagement while cultivating a supportive and flexible environment where children are empowered to take ownership of their journey. These experiences create the foundation for a lifetime of inspiration and reflection.

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." - William Butler Yeats

Montessori in Practice

Unlike traditional teacher-centered models, Montessori classrooms prioritize autonomy and exploration. Questions are not just asked but investigated, tested, and proven. Opinions are formed and defended, while minds remain open to change. Learning is never static—it is fluid, evolving with the needs of each child.

Every day presents new opportunities to present ideas in dynamic ways. We must continually ask: How can we meet children where they are today? What can we offer that will ignite their curiosity and inspire them?

"Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit." e.e. cummings

A Child-Led Spirit

Martha Spring, our Fine Arts Teacher and Principal, explains:

"To follow a child-led model we must become as little children ourselves. This requires an environment (physical, mental, emotional) which allows the child to stop awhile and dwell, the opposite of the superficial and hurried. In a world where measured results seem to be a demi-god, how do we help ourselves and others trust the mystery of learning which transpires in the unseen silence? We must create a climate of restful stillness to inspire wonder and awe."

For over 50 years we have followed our children at Counterpane and they have led us places more beautiful than we could have ever imagined on our own. When they share stories, we wait with bated breath. When they paint pictures, we see the world with new eyes and when they tell us who they are, we listen with open hearts.

In Montessori, and at Counterpane in particular, we know that allowing children the freedom to explore, learn, and develop at their own pace is the only way for them to grow into the people they are meant to be. We must prepare for them a place in which they can be themselves and then guide them, gently, as they make their own discoveries.

“If the idea of the universe be presented to the child in the right way, it will do more for him than just arouse his interest, for it will create in him admiration and wonder, a feeling loftier than any interest and more satisfying. [...] his interest spreads to all, for all are linked and have their place in the universe on which his mind is centered.” - Dr. Maria Montessori

An Invitation to Wonder

In true Montessori spirit, we leave you not with an answer, but with a question: How are you making space for wonder in your own life?

This is a question for all of us—young and old. Trying something new, sitting in stillness, or diving deeply into an experience may feel uncomfortable at first. Yet often, that initial anxiety gives way to a deeper connection with the world around us.

When we allow ourselves to be lost in discovery, the noise falls away. Details come alive. Each moment becomes a world unto itself—filled with joy, presence, and wonder.