Montessori Values Explained: The Importance of Eye Contact in the Prepared Environment

I have looked into your eyes with my eyes. I have put my heart near your heart. ~ Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

One of the greatest joys of a new parent is when their baby makes and maintains eye contact with them. At birth, babies tend to look at the borders of objects and will look at the hairline or edge of the face of a person who is talking to them. Between 6 and 8 weeks, infants begin to focus more on the internal feature of the faces and are able to make eye contact and by 3 months, prefer to look into a person’s eyes over any other part of the face. By the age of 4-5 months, infants are able to distinguish their caretakers’ faces from all others.

It is often said that they eyes are the window to the soul. Indeed, making or maintaining eye contact often communicates the real intent of our verbal message. In western societies, people who make eye contact come across as confident and honest. People take you more seriously and believe that what you are saying is important. Eye contact also provides an emotional connection between the speaker and the listener. Eye contact is an important non-verbal means of communication, and is a critical component for creating an ideal Montessori learning environment.