---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Observation, very general and…"
description: "\"Observation, very general and wide-spread, has shown that small children are endowed with a special psychic nature. This shows us a new way of impartin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/maria-montessori-709_children_observation-very-general-and-wide-spread_1938122.png"
---

#  Observation, very general and wide-spread, has shown that…

![“Observation, very general and wide-spread, has shown that small children are endowed with a special psychic nature. This shows us a new way of imparting education!” quote by Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/maria-montessori-709_children_observation-very-general-and-wide-spread_1938122.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/maria-montessori-709_children_observation-very-general-and-wide-spread_1938122.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/maria-montessori-709_children_observation-very-general-and-wide-spread_1938122.png)

> “Observation, very general and wide-spread, has shown that small children are endowed with a special psychic nature. This shows us a new way of imparting education!”

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Children possess an innate, expansive mental capacity, suggesting education should nurture this natural psychic nature rather than constrain it.

**In simple terms:** Kids have a special mental nature; education should nurture it.

Key Takeaway

Design learning that taps innate curiosity.

Themes

education child development psychology

Mood

inspirational educational

Type

pedagogical philosophical

When to use this quote

- preschool classrooms
- home schooling
- early childhood programs
- parental guidance

Key Concepts

innate potential learning environments holistic education

Questions to Reflect On

- How can curricula honor each child's inner nature?
- What practices best support natural learning?

A Different Perspective

May overstate uniformity among children.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Endowed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-endowed-3072467/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/) [Psychic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychic/) [Psychic Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychic-nature-3072465/) [Special Psychic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-psychic-3072466/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/)

## Related quotes

> [I can only gaze with wonder and awe at the depths of and heights of our psychic nature. Its non-spatial universe conceals an untold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/i-can-only-gaze-with-wonder-and-awe-at-the-depths-of-and-heights-of/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [The observation of the way in which the children pass from the first disordered movements to those which are spontaneous and ordered -- this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-observation-of-the-way-in-which-the-children-pass-from-the-first/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [We cannot create observers by saying 'observe,' but by giving them the power and the means for this observation and these means are procured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/we-cannot-create-observers-by-saying-observe-but-by-giving-them-the/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [“Guess what?' I said. 'I have a psychic.' His head tilted questioningly, birdlike. A sidekick?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/guess-what-i-said-i-have-a-psychic-his-head-tilted-questioningly/)

[Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/)

> [The concept of psychic energy is easy for most people to imagine. After all, it's just one step beyond intuition - and almost everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayne-ann-krentz/the-concept-of-psychic-energy-is-easy-for-most-people-to-imagine/)

[Jayne Ann Krentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayne-ann-krentz/)

> [In real life I do violence, but for psychic stuff I do other things better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/in-real-life-i-do-violence-but-for-psychic-stuff-i-do-other-things/)

[Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/)

> [My job is to be some sort of music/lyric psychic, to figure out that that's the right song to not fight the lyric.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-folds/my-job-is-to-be-some-sort-of-music-lyric-psychic-to-figure-out-that/)

[Ben Folds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-folds/)

> [“My vision is to help each man, woman and child connect with their inherent psychic ability. I believe that each person has the potential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-anastasi/my-vision-is-to-help-each-man-woman-and-child-connect-with-their/)

[Sandy Anastasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-anastasi/)

> [I actually have a weird tendency to say things to people that they were just about to say. I always freak my best friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lee-smith/i-actually-have-a-weird-tendency-to-say-things-to-people-that-they/)

[Lauren Lee Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lee-smith/)

> [Sometimes you just need to give in to the yuckiness of the day, throw your psychic hands up in the air and trust that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-shearn/sometimes-you-just-need-to-give-in-to-the-yuckiness-of-the-day-throw/)

[Amy Shearn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-shearn/)

> [The psychic does not have much to do with channeling. All you are doing is getting information from a source that may or may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-psychic-does-not-have-much-to-do-with-channeling-all-you-are/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Clearly, I'm not psychic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/clearly-i-m-not-psychic/)

[Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/)

> [“You'll do fine." "What, you're psychic now?" "Didn't you know?" he asks seriously. "Must be an aftereffect of the bond.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tera-lynn-childs/you-ll-do-fine-what-you-re-psychic-now-didn-t-you-know-he-asks/)

[Tera Lynn Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tera-lynn-childs/)

> [“His grin split even wider. “I’d love the chance to prove you wrong.” And when he did, she’d know what he was thinking. She’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-daniel/his-grin-split-even-wider-i-d-love-the-chance-to-prove-you-wrong-and/)

[Sara Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-daniel/)

> [If you are psychic you may see that the smiling faces aren't smiling at all, inside. You can eliminate those individuals from your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-are-psychic-you-may-see-that-the-smiling-faces-aren-t-smiling/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

## More by Maria Montessori

> [Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/plainly-the-environment-must-be-a-living-one-directed-by-a-higher/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/to-assist-a-child-we-must-provide-him-with-an-environment-which-will/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [Imitation is the first instinct of the awakening mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/imitation-is-the-first-instinct-of-the-awakening-mind/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [The undisciplined child enters into discipline by working in the company of others; not being told he is naughty.” “Discipline is, therefore, primarily a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-undisciplined-child-enters-into-discipline-by-working-in-the/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [When you have solved the problem of controlling the attention of the child, you have solved the entire problem of its education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/when-you-have-solved-the-problem-of-controlling-the-attention-of-the/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [It is exactly in the repetition of the exercises that the education of the senses exists; not that the child shall know colors, forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/it-is-exactly-in-the-repetition-of-the-exercises-that-the-education/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [Adults look upon a child as something empty that is to be filled through their own efforts, as something inert and helpless for which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/adults-look-upon-a-child-as-something-empty-that-is-to-be-filled/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [The observation of the way in which the children pass from the first disordered movements to those which are spontaneous and ordered -- this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-observation-of-the-way-in-which-the-children-pass-from-the-first/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [The teacher's task is not a small easy one! She has to prepare a huge amount of knowledge to satisfy the child's mental hunger.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-teacher-s-task-is-not-a-small-easy-one-she-has-to-prepare-a-huge/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [Education is a work of self-organization by which man adapts himself to the conditions of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/education-is-a-work-of-self-organization-by-which-man-adapts-himself/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [The possibility of observing the developments of the psychical life of the child as natural phenomena and experimental reactions transforms the school itself in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-possibility-of-observing-the-developments-of-the-psychical-life/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [Never help a child with a task that they feel they can complete themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/never-help-a-child-with-a-task-that-they-feel-they-can-complete/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [It is not the child as a physical but as a psychic being that can provide a strong impetus to the betterment of mankind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/it-is-not-the-child-as-a-physical-but-as-a-psychic-being-that-can/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [By the age of three, the child has already laid down the foundations of his personality as a human being, and only then does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/by-the-age-of-three-the-child-has-already-laid-down-the-foundations/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [Rewards and punishments, to speak frankly, are the desk of the soul, that is, a means of enslaving a child's spirit, and better suited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/rewards-and-punishments-to-speak-frankly-are-the-desk-of-the-soul/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

[Explore all 397 Maria Montessori quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Observation, very general and wide-spread, has shown that small children are endowed with a special psychic nature. This shows us a new way of imparting education!",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Maria Montessori"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/observation-very-general-and-wide-spread-has-shown-that-small/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/observation-very-general-and-wide-spread-has-shown-that-small/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/maria-montessori-709_children_observation-very-general-and-wide-spread_1938122.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/maria-montessori-709_children_observation-very-general-and-wide-spread_1938122.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48e/maria-montessori-709_children_observation-very-general-and-wide-spread_1938122.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Observation, very general and wide-spread, has shown that small children are endowed with a special psychic…” — Maria Montessori",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Maria Montessori",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Observation, very general and wide-spread, has...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/observation-very-general-and-wide-spread-has-shown-that-small/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/observation-very-general-and-wide-spread-has-shown-that-small/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
