Why are there no computers in the Primary Montessori classrooms?
Baldwin Oaks has thoughtfully made the decision to leave computers out of the Primary classroom for a number of developmental reasons. Children need multisensory experiences. As Dr. Montessori stated, “The hands are the instruments of man’s intelligence” and for this reason she designed a multitude of didactic materials to help children learn about and understand their environment in a concrete, “hands-on” manner. Children need to move. During the first five years of life, a child’s brain is being structured and the patterns of learning and attention that are being developed are affected by the child’s experiences in their environment. A Montessori classroom offers a multitude of opportunities for movement. Every skill is taught with a variety of large and small muscle activities, a far more valuable experience for the children than the small finger movements used in computer games. Children need activities that promote discovery and experimentation. Computers provide a very one dimens
