In their own words
Things Children Have Said
Thirty years of listening. These are the moments that stayed.
Children speak the truth without armor. They notice what adults have learned to overlook. Over three decades in Montessori classrooms and homes, I've kept a quiet record of the things children have said — the observations, the questions, the small philosophies that stopped me in my tracks.
Their words.
"
Miss Tammy, did you know that worms are just the earth breathing?
Age 4
"
I think the moon is shy. That's why she hides sometimes.
Age 5
"
When I grow up, I want to be someone who notices things.
Age 6
"
My hands know how to do it. My brain just has to be quiet.
Age 5
"
I don't think butterflies know they're beautiful. That's what makes them beautiful.
Age 7
"
Can we stay here a little longer? I'm not done thinking yet.
Age 4
"
You don't teach me things. You just show me where they are.
Age 6
"
I think kindness is the hardest work. But it's the best kind.
Age 8
"
Miss Tammy, do you think the seeds remember being flowers?
Age 5
"
I made a mistake, but I fixed it. So now it's just a story.
Age 6
"
Being patient is like being a tree. You just grow slowly and it's okay.
Age 7
"
I love learning. It feels like finding something you already knew.
Age 5
These are the children who taught me everything I know about teaching.
— Tammy