Beginning the year

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Orientation to the Atrium as a Place of Prayer

Creating a Sacred Space Where Work leads to Concentration with Leads to Contemplation and Prayer.

Following our recent online members enrichment on “Orientation to the Atrium as a Place of Prayer” we had some wonderful discussion and questions about how to serve the children in the Atrium, inviting them to continue the meditations we offer in their individual or group work. These questions and answers may be helpful for all of our members, and so we want to open up this conversation to you too. In this article we will also include some sources and quotes that will support the discussions.

At the end we will have a comments section which will allow you to continue the conversation. This comments section is an experiment to see if this is useful interaction, we ask you to be supportive in your responses. All comments will go through a discernment filter before appearing under the article.

Q1 Introduction to atrium ideas

Beginning the atrium year involves orienting the child to the atrium as a place of prayer. This is more than just showing them around, but involves modelling and explicitly discussing grace and courtesy; how we work with other people in a shared space that has a specific purpose. The heart of the atrium is the prayer table, but the presentations and especially the work of the children is where the deepest conversations between the child and God occurs. As adults our role is to prepare the space and to lift up the greatest mysteries of our faith for the child to ponder in their freely chosen work.

The youngest children especially, but also every child, needs to be given the gift of time to work with their hands on freely chosen tasks in order to develop the inner silence that helps them contemplate these great mysteries, They do this initially by preliminary and practical life activities. These help to slow them down. They help them to perfect their control over their body.

“For what is valuable is not the work itself, but the work as a means for the construction of the psychic man.” (Maria Montessori – The Advanced Montessori Method Volume I)

Introducing new children to the atrium, especially in Level 1 usually means that we first meet with parents and then children individually for a short introductory session. This is helpful in giving them some initial presentations over a shorter session without other children. Some children may require more than one of these individual sessions. Once introduced to the whole group, these new children may still only attend for part of the session, depending on how well they have settled in and are able to stay. You may choose to have all children begin together with the newer children leaving early, or have the newer children arrive later when the older children have already begin to be engaged in work, and then staying to join in the communal prayer together at the end of the atrium time.

Practically speaking the first works we offer are those that will best engage them in prolonged concentration. We have found these to be the works that help them to develop control over their own body. Some of the early works offered to children in their first weeks in Level 1 are:

  • Preliminary activities
    • Such as scooping, sorting, matching
  • Practical Life activities
    • Such as dusting, plant care, pouring, flower arranging
  • Nomenclature
    • Model altar
    • Liturgical colours
  • Setting up the prayer table
  • Communal prayer

“During the second phase of the “absorbent mind,” from age three to six, the child needs to find the tasks or activities that stimulates her or his interest and needs to learn how to correctly perform the action to do it. The “perfectionment” aspect comes from the desire and need to do and accomplish tasks— the child’s work—with a sense of precision. Children are especially attracted to manipulative tasks, with how to do things, which satisfies their need to coordinate and control their movements.

The child, involved in a piece of work, will repeat the same series of movements over and over until it is mastered. This repetition, Montessori asserted, was the means of establishing in his or her nervous system a new system of control that related mind and body, bringing about muscle coordination with the mental goal of completing the task. The repetitions fix the power of knowing that something is being done correctly, which in turn leads to the empowerment that leads to independent performance.

The period of the “absorbent mind,” especially its second phase, from age three to six, is highly significant for later development and education. The repertoire of skills and the world that the child constructs lay the foundation for future learning. “ (Maria Montessori – Absorbent Mind)

“The phenomenon to be expected from the little child, when he is placed in an environment favourable to his spiritual growth, is this: that suddenly the child will fix his attention upon an object, will use it for the purpose for which it was constructed, and will continue to repeat the same exercise indefinitely. One will repeat an exercise twenty times, another forty times, and yet another two hundred times; but this is the first phenomenon to be expected, as initiatory to those acts with which spiritual growth is bound up.” (Maria Montessori The Advanced Montessori Method Volume I)

For children in the second plane (after the age of six) some of the initial works may depend on if the child has already worked in the level 1 atrium. Children who are familiar with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, may only need some simple transitional materials are used to better meet the needs for this aged child to grown intellectually with their new reasoning mind, as well as their growing need to work collaboratively with others. However, the children who are not yet able to concentrate continue to require practical life activities to give them space to contemplate and slow down. Some of the early works offered to children in their first weeks in Level 2 are:

  • Transitional Materials
    • Level 1 materials such as Good Shepherd, Altar definitions cards
  • Practical Life
    • Making their own prayer journal (or cover), care of plants, sweeping and dusting, polishing
  • First presentations
    • Moral parables leading into lent (such as Good Shepherd with wolf and hireling, found sheep, maxims, the parable of the Sower…)
    • Paschal mystery (Cenacle, City of Jerusalem)
  • Communal Prayer

And in Level 3 works that could be offered early in the children’s time in the atrium include:

  • Transitional Materials
    • Level 1/2 materials, as needed
    • History of the Kingdom of God
      • And the Holy Bible
      • It’s unity and vastness.
      • Gifts of God
  • Practical Life
    • Making their own prayer journal (or cover), care of plants, sweeping and dusting, polishing
  • First presentations
    • Maxims and Moral parables during lent
    • Paschal mystery (Cenacle, City of Jerusalem, other paschal narratives)
    • True Vine
    • Plan of God
  • Communal Prayer

Q2 What if a child prepares communal prayer and wants to begin before the session is finished?

Sometime children new to the atrium, especially in level 1, enjoy preparing the prayer table and want to begin singing etc as soon as the table is prepared, although it may only be the beginning or early in the atrium session. This may also occur when a child has had enough and is ready to finish their own time. The catechist will have to discern how to respond. In the first case, you could simply invite the child to pray quietly at the prayer table by themselves, even offering to light a candle for them if they desire. Let them know that later, when everyone has had time to work, the whole group will be invited to pray together, but that will be at the end of the session. If the child is tired, you may also invite them to pray and light the candle, and then contact their parent for them to finish their session earlier that day.

Q3 How and when do we introduce songs to new children in Level 1. If it is meant to be child instigated, how do they get to know enough songs to offer them as personal prayer responses to presentations?

When children first begin in the atrium, we will share many presentations with them, It is still important to ask them first if they know of a prayer song we could sing. If they don’t have one and it is appropriate, you could offer: “I have a song we could sing, would you like me to teach it to you?” The child still can say no. They may hear other songs from children in the atrium. The most common time for new songs to be learned is at the communal prayer, where children will choose from the song cards, generally by the image on the card, songs they do not know. You can then song them with the children and so they will gradually increase their song repertoire.

Q4 Do all L2 children have to join in the Communal Prayer?  If we have a child who seems to have something else going on (such as ADHD, ASD, or anxiety etc), does he/she have to join in the Communal prayer? Is there a way to slowly introduce communal prayer to the child ?

Sometimes we notice a child that does not wish to join in the communal prayer at the end of the atrium session. It may be for a variety of reasons and the catechist must be discerning and observant to discover why. Perhaps they have become deeply engaged in an activity and are not ready to stop it at the time of the bell ringing. Perhaps there are other things to consider such as a need to exert their own will, or a dislike for the closeness in sitting next to other children in the prayer space. Maybe they have a special chair they like to use but someone else has taken it before them. Perhaps there has been some other disruptions in their life outside of the atrium that affect then, or they may be tired or unwell. In any case, we always want to let the child know they have the freedom to choose. Each choice has consequences, however. Choosing to continue to work must include the need to work quietly and to be completed by the end of the atrium session. Choosing to not be part of prayer, may mean they leave before prayer (especially if they are tired or unwell, and hopefully their parent or an assistant can accompany them). If they choose to join in communal prayer that also means that they will behave in the way that enables communal prayer to be prayerful and safe for everyone.

When children have some difficulty in engaging in any activity, perhaps because of some underlying issues such as ADD, ASD etc, then we may need to offer them more support. You may have one catechist accompany them and help them to make initial choices, but to remove themselves from distracting them once they are engaged. With older children you may involve them in discussing how best to meet their needs. In level 2 and 3 we often create “rules” for how the atrium will operate with the collaboration of the children in the group. Most importantly you need to get to know the child and find that work that best matches their current need. And you need to allow each day to be a new day, without resentments or judgements based on previous behaviour. Catechists can also solicit the help of parents who may even observe in a session to offer support by their presence, or give suggestions about what their child enjoys most to do. Above all, pray for these little ones who are precious gifts to us.

Montessori discusses the need to choose freely:

“In this environment of liberty there have developed in the children also finer moral precepts, finer spiritual instincts and greater consideration for others. One of the greatest spiritual or moral surprises has been the conquest of the children of discipline. If we wish to understand this phenomenon of the conquest of discipline which takes place in these schools, we come to see that it is due to the well-ordered and related work with which the children are furnished; that the work they have been given is the work they need. Freedom is necessary to every individual, to every living thing, which must grow freely to its finest attainment.

To give this kind of orderly instruction and freedom to the child it is necessary that the teacher shall have a new attitude, that she shall be different from the teacher who has conceived as her mission to force into the child’s mind right concepts. She must learn to watch for activity once it has been stimulated. This teacher must come to have an attitude of humility. She must become at the same time an observer of the freely developing child and a wise director of the spiritual growth of the children about her. She must perfect herself to the point where she will not intervene; she must learn to abolish her own personality, her own ego. She must at the same time learn from her observations to distinguish which are the acts she must encourage and leave free, and which are those rare acts which lead to debasement, and, therefore, which she must check. She must develop a certain fine sensibility which will enable her to discern almost unconsciously those acts which are useless or harmful. She must be like a mother who guards her child when he is in danger of falling, but she leaves the child free to play when he is in a beautiful garden, leaves him free in the enjoyment in which he is safe! She must learn to intervene, to check the harmful things, but to vanish when the child shows that activities which are helpful have been awakened and to allow the child to have the illusion that he has accomplished it all himself.” (Maria Montessori – The Montessori Method Ch 23)

Q5 How do you manage noise , In a shared Atrium of 9 yr olds ( active & loud) with the 7 yr olds ( year1 L2 – still shy and mute) ?

Q6  How to talk to the children to encourage the children who just want to use atrium time to chat with their friends and do not wish to do anything?

Q7  How do we prevent a child from running around in the Atrium and making it into a playground? This also will influence the other children to do likewise.

All freedom must be offered within limits. It is by these limits that true freedom is found. Sometimes children will require a set place to work, or a limited number of works to choose from. You may need to consider allowing more quiet work times, instead of a new presentation every session, to allow the child time to revisit work and sit longer with work they have received previously. Older children sometimes like a list of choices to guide their selections. You may offer an outdoor space with a garden to tend for children that need more movement. With children of the second plane we need to remember that they are now more social in nature and that this needs to be considered when setting boundaries.

“To let the child do as he likes when he has not yet developed any powers of control is to betray the idea of freedom” (Marie Montessori – The Absorbent Mind).

“Free choice is one of the highest of all mental processes. Only the child, deeply aware of his need for practice and for the development of his spiritual life, can really be said to choose freely” (Marie Montessori – The Absorbent Mind).

“To give a child liberty is not to abandon him to himself” (Maria Montessori – The Child in the Family).

Q8 What if the children are not participating; are clearly not praying – they don’t know how?

Often times a child needs lots of practical life to normalise to the atrium and its pace, to make choices etc. This will often help them to be still. Silence is also prayer. This is also true for older children. A good resource for older children is a book by Donna Bryant Goertz called Children Who Are Not Yet Peaceful.

“Children who are surrounded at home by excess in the way of toys and pampering require greater talent and effort on the part of the teacher over a longer period of time to reach regular, deep, and lengthy engagement – what Csikszentmihalya calls “flow”. It is time spent daily in this state from which emotional and intellectual development springs spontaneously.” (Donna Bryant Goertz – Children Who Are Not Yet Peaceful).

Some children who never pray aloud may need more ideas in prayer. They could be offered examples of prayer as we have in our materials for the Infancy Narratives (such as Hail Mary, Magnificat) or the short Psalm phrases. It is ok that they do not wish to pray aloud a spontaneous prayer, or pray they prayer privately. As long as they are respectful of others’ prayer it is ok for them to not engage. Knowing they are free to choose sometimes encourages them to have a go. Giving structure, such as inviting them to organise the prayer, having a book to record petitions in that are read aloud, using responsorial psalms occasionally, may help them to get more confident in praying in the group. In level 3 you may also encourage them to research prayer of the church or saints to share during communal prayer.

Q9 A note re becoming comfortable with silence.

Finally, we need to recall what our work in the atrium is. We are providing a space and assisting the child to build their own relationship with Jesus the Good Shepherd. Each child is unique in their own journey. We need to act as matchmaker, helping the children to choose work that will help them to grow in concentration, leading to contemplation and prayer.

We need to allow time and silence to become part of the atrium. This is especially important in Level 1 where the children work independently. It is often difficult for the adult to disappear when the children are working quietly, and we often want to see what they are doing, offer encouragement or advice when they are struggling to solve a problem, rather than quietly observing. With Level 2 and 3 children, we also need to encourage silence, that is to help them to transition from outside to inside the sacred space of the atrium, and not distract themselves or others by discussions of other interests (again this is with discernment as some children begin to belong by these shared interests).

In our carefully prepared presentations, we may have responses of silence from the children. That is also something we need to accept as a response. Sometimes we may also need to wait just a little longer for them to think of what to say. As catechists we need to model a quiet and prayerful disposition in the atrium.

Early in 2025 CGSUSA offered some episodes of their podcast on the theme of Freedom and Responsibility. They are linked below.

Please add to this discussion in the comments section, with more questions and answers from your own atrium experiences.