Book 2, Part Two : Chapter 1, Exploration, Development & Summary and Analysis

The number one characteristic of a Montessori School when properly prepared and staffed is that children pursue their own interests in an atmosphere that nurtures their independent development with a great deal of support and a minimum of interference. This way, children can be together without anyone being either held back by others but also without the distress that can be caused by holding back the other children if one has an unusual difficulty with something that others in general find easier.

The arrangement does of course influence the types of group work that can be done in Montessori Schools. The author insists that this quality of "spontaneous and voluntary effort" on the parts of children is consistently found in such schools. Fearlessly, the author informs readers that they can check...