Often new parents come in before class starts and ask me to take a peek in on our classroom. When parents and I tiptoe into the doorway, quiet, so as not to interrupt eager learners arriving early to set up their favorite materials, many parents point out almost immediately a complete lack of any electronic media in our Montessori classes.

This is true. In some ways we are very old fashioned. Our children learn to count by using large colorful beads. We teach addition by using special number rods. We teach children to read by allowing them to physically combine letters into words. We teach logic by creating a pattern with colorful cubes, and asking a child to replicate it. For the entire two hour class, our students see no cartoon characters, and nothing flashes on a screen. The only loud noise you hear is the laughter of children sharing in on a joke with their teachers. The only media used in our Montessori classes is a CD player softly playing classical music during snack time.

As a mother of two boys I adore those two hours every day. When my sons too seem to fall into a soft and focused rhythm where passive media watching turns into active fascination in learning and absorbing new materials from our talented and soft spoken teachers. Our classrooms are peaceful. That is our aim.  Learning should be peaceful and focused.

So when you are choosing a place for your child to spend a few hours a day, don’t be fooled by flashy expensive screens. Remember, children learn by touching, moving and holding. Look for a peaceful place that offers an escape from a media rich world.

And remember to always pause and listen if you hear Mozart at snack time.

Viktoria Altman, mother of two amazing boys, owner of Brainy Academy