Self-construction is the developmental process by which a child constructs the person they will become. Children are building up their sense of self through the experiences of life and everything they do is part of constructing their personality. Participating in life is the work of the child because all of life is helping them self-construct. For the 6-12 year old child in particular, self-construction is the most important work during this stage of development. And it is hard work.

In Montessori, we often speak of education for the whole child and how our approach recognizes the importance of skills and growth beyond, though still including, academics. This idea can be challenging for us, as adults in a culture that is so focused on achievement, grades and test scores. We often fall into the trap of forcing the child to do only what we consider work, forgetting that their primary work is to self-construct. For example, if a child spends the morning conversing with friends rather than choosing some activity, that is their work. Social interactions are part of self-construction.

That being said, building intellect, reasoning skills, curiosity and imagination are a huge part of self-construction and should not be overlooked. The 6-12 year old mind is capable of learning more than at any other time in life. In the Montessori Elementary classroom, we help support the children in finding balance in their day so that they are equally constructing all the parts of themselves: social, emotional, executive functions, academics, physical care of the body, and communication, to name a few. If a child spends all day every day conversing with friends, we will encourage them to pay attention to what parts of themself they have been neglecting, offering up some options that will help them develop their mind. We recognize that each student is an individual and may need different levels of support or structure to help them find an appropriate balance.

Additionally, self-construction is the work of the child and the child alone. We cannot do it for them. All we can do is sow the seeds. If we give them too much, they are not doing the work for themself. Our job is to create interest and excitement, to entice them. From then on, it is their job to take it further and use what they discover to construct themself. Not every lesson, or every subject area, will be of equal interest to every child. They are constructing their own personality, and that means a variety of interests and proficiencies.

As parents and caregivers, there are some things to keep in mind as you support your child in their self-construction. Your child may come home and say they “haven’t done any work today.” Don’t panic! They are always doing the work of self-construction and they might not be able to talk about that work. The activities and materials of the Montessori environment call to the child and they will succeed in their academics if left to do so in their own time. Dr. Montessori often wrote of the horme, the spark of vital energy that drives pursuit of purposeful activity. This drive is strongly active in the youngest children but continues throughout the development of the 6-12 year old. The horme continues to drive them to construct a self.

At home, it is important that the child is involved in daily activities because living life is part of self-construction too. Allow your children to participate in grocery shopping, cooking, laundry, and helping around the house. Alternatively, if your child wants to spend an entire day reading comic books, that is still part of their work of self-construction. That work will look different depending on the individual child and may change from day to day.

Stevie Mock, TTMS Elementary Teacher

June 2023