Exploringmontessori

This ring and dowel work has been on his shelf for a while, always presented with the dowel vertically first. Over time, he became very comfortable with it. He would pick up a ring, align it, and place it down without hesitation. His hands knew what to do, and he could complete the work with ease.

A few weeks ago, I presented the same material, but with the dowel positioned horizontally.

He approached it in the way he always had, trying to place the ring from above. When it didn’t work, he paused. He stayed with it. He looked at it, adjusted his hand, and tried again. For a while, he wasn’t sure how to make it work. He would try, stop, and move on. But then one afternoon, it clicked. He figured out the new movement and repeated it again and again, placing and removing the rings many times until it became familiar to him.

That moment was important. He wasn’t shown what to do — he discovered it himself, through patience and repetition.

The vertical dowel had allowed him to rely on a movement he already knew. The horizontal dowel asked something new of him. He had to adjust his wrist, guide the ring more carefully, and move with greater intention. It required more control, more attention, and more patience.

Over time, his movements became confident again. What was once unfamiliar slowly became familiar, through his own effort and experience.