We are opening a new Montessori school and would like to know how long it would take for children to achieve Normalisation.

The Montessori Environment provides the conditions for Normalisation, which Montessori described as “the most important single result of our whole work”. This requires careful attention to essential principles and an adult prepared to guide children towards normalising concentration through purposeful activity. There is no specific timeline for this; if the conditions are present, children will achieve normalisation – including in a new school. You can read Montessori’s own excellent discussion of this in The Absorbent Mind chapters 26 & 27. Perhaps you will also find my own essay helpful: Classroom Management: The Art of Normalization – which is available here.

Directress watches child using Montessori materials