Does the Montessori Method allow children to do whatever they want?
A child in a Montessori environment is free to choose his own work provided that he has already been introduced to a particular material. The child can then work with that material for as long as he chooses while the teacher will observe him from a distance. Afterwards, the child will return the material to its proper place so it can be used by another child. The child is free to move around, to talk to the other children, and to ask the teacher to show him new materials, but he cannot distract other children at work or interrupt the teacher while she is working with another child.
