Montessori Under Six: Why Children Need Movement, Boundaries, and Time to Grow

Montessori do šesti let: Proč děti potřebují pohyb, hranice a čas dozrát

7. 6. 2026

The guest on the Montessori Jiskření podcast was Kateřina Vosátková, founder and head of a Montessori space for children under six in Jablonec nad Nisou. Kateřina holds an international Montessori diploma for ages 0 to 3, and her work focuses above all on children’s real needs. In the interview, she talks about her path to Montessori, founding her own space for children, and how her approach was shaped by her own childhood and the experience of not always being understood by the people around her. That’s exactly why she now places such strong emphasis on listening, respect, and genuinely trying to understand what a child is going through.

From Motherhood to Montessori

Kateřina didn’t originally plan to open her own preschool. After moving from Prague to Jablonec, she was looking for work that would feel meaningful and build on her experience. When she couldn’t find the right fit, she decided to create her own space for children from birth to age six.

It was motherhood itself that led her to Montessori. After her daughter was born, she began thinking more about what children need in order to grow up with understanding and respect. Montessori principles resonated with her because of how natural they felt, and because of the way they view a child as a person who has their own needs, abilities, and pace of development from birth.

Independence Starts With Everyday Activities

One of the central themes of the interview is independence in children under six. Even a very young child can manage surprisingly much, as long as an adult prepares a suitable environment, allows enough time, and resists the urge to do everything for them. Independence here doesn’t mean achievement, and it certainly isn’t about pressuring a child to master something as fast as possible.

What a child needs most is the chance to try. Putting on and taking off shoes, pouring water, carrying things, caring for their surroundings, or helping with simple household tasks are all important experiences for them. Repeating everyday activities gradually builds their confidence, concentration, and trust in their own abilities.

Children Need Movement, Nature, and Real Experiences

Children under six explore the world primarily through movement, their bodies, and their senses. That’s why Kateřina recommends offering them as many real experiences as possible. Time outdoors, nature, trees, stones, water, sand, animals, and different sounds and textures give a child an enormous range of input they can process at their own pace.

There’s no need to fill a child’s day with a large number of organized activities. What a child needs is time to climb, run, touch, observe, and explore. Ordinary moments in the real world often offer more for a child’s development than a constantly prepared program.

There’s No Need to Rush Fine Motor Skills

The interview also offers a practical look at how a child’s hand and fine motor skills develop. Kateřina points out that parents don’t need to hand children pencils and crayons too early, before their hand is actually ready for a proper grip. Development moves from large movements through the shoulder, elbow, and wrist toward fine finger work.

Children can prepare their hands naturally through all kinds of activities. Puzzles and insert boards, polishing, working with small objects, painting with chunky wax blocks, or drawing on large surfaces all help. Instead of trying to rush a proper pencil grip, we can offer children experiences that let them gradually grow into it on their own.

Fewer Screens, More of the Real World

The need for real experiences also extends to how children use technology. Kateřina recommends significantly limiting screens for children under six, ideally leaving them out altogether. In their place, parents can offer more time outdoors, more movement, and more involvement in everyday life.

The real world offers a small child plenty of stimulation all on its own. We don’t need to fill every moment with entertainment or a prepared activity. Sometimes it’s enough to slow down and give a child time to observe, explore, and take part in whatever is naturally happening around them.

How to Approach Emotions and Boundaries

When parents are dealing with defiance, anger, or a lack of cooperation, Kateřina says there’s no single universal answer. What matters is looking at the specific situation. How old is the child? When does the problem come up? What leads up to it? And how does the adult respond?

A child has the right to not want something, to be tired, or to be in a bad mood. At the same time, they need an adult who can hold the situation, set clear boundaries, and stay calm even when the child is experiencing strong emotions. Respecting a child doesn’t mean a life without boundaries, it’s about how an adult sets them.

Talk to Children From Birth

Toward the end of the interview, Kateřina highlights the importance of language and communication from the very first months of life. We can talk to a child from birth, describe the world around them, name things, and give them room to respond.

Silence is an important part of communication too. Even a young baby needs pauses to process what they’ve heard and gradually learn how to take part in back-and-forth communication. It’s in everyday conversations, shared activities, and ordinary moments that the relationship between child and adult is gradually built.

The conversation with Kateřina points to a simple but important idea. Young children don’t need endlessly more activities and stimulation. What they need most is time, movement, real experiences, and an adult who listens to them, respects their development, and gives them room to gradually master the world through their own efforts.