Love Of Learning: Supporting Intrinsic Motivation In Montessori Students
Michael and D'Neal Duffy on keeping a student's motivation coming from inside rather than from marks and praise. 144 pages, soft cover, 2012 edition. It is the practical end of a principle everybody agrees with and few can implement: the philosophy is explained, and then the strategies, which is the right order because the strategies make no sense without the argument for why rewards are the problem. Paper and cardstock, for teachers.
“The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.'”
Love Of Learning: Supporting Intrinsic Motivation In Montessori Students addresses a fundamental challenge in Montessori education, maintaining the child's natural enthusiasm for discovery throughout the primary years. This book recognizes that between ages 3-6, children possess an innate curiosity that drives them to explore their environment with joy and concentration.
- Recognize signs of intrinsic motivation in children aged 3-6
- Create environments that protect natural curiosity and wonder
- Understand when to intervene and when to observe silently
- Identify and remove obstacles to self-directed exploration
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The guide's 200+ pages examine how adults can protect rather than diminish this precious inner motivation. Each chapter in Love Of Learning reveals how intrinsic motivation manifests differently across developmental planes, from the three-year-old's sensorial explorations to the six-year-old's quest for intellectual understanding. The book's practical framework helps educators recognize when external rewards or corrections might interfere with a child's natural learning cycle. By understanding the principles within Love Of Learning, adults learn to step back at crucial moments, allowing children to experience the deep satisfaction that comes from self-chosen challenges and independently achieved mastery.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Create a quiet reading space with notebook and pen. Mark chapters relevant to current classroom challenges. Schedule 20-minute daily reading sessions during children's work cycle for real-time observation opportunities.
- 1
Begin with Chapter 1 on recognizing intrinsic motivation signals in young children
Take notes on behaviors you observe in your specific students - 2
Read case studies while observing your classroom during work periods
Compare book examples to real situations unfolding before you - 3
Practice the observation techniques described in Chapter 3
Start with one child for 10 minutes rather than trying to observe everyone - 4
Implement one environment modification suggested in Chapter 5
Choose the smallest change that addresses your most pressing challenge - 5
Document children's responses to environmental changes
Use the book's observation templates to track motivation indicators
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