Understanding Montessori: The Basics
Montessori is often thought of in regards to education or more specifically a place that you would send your child in their preschool years. BUT, Montessori is way more than that! Montessori is a way of being, a mindset, a philosophy or set of beliefs about children.
The Montessori philosophy at home involves incorporating principles that support a child's natural development and encourage independence, exploration, and respect.
Here's a list of key elements of the Montessori philosophy applied to the home environment:
Child-Led Activities: Follow the interest of your child in the world. Encourage activities and play that allow children to explore their environment and the world around them. Spend time in nature and slow to the child’s pace to explore things that interest them.
Prepared Environment at Home: Create a prepared environment at home that is clean, simple and organized. Offer low shelves, child-sized furniture, and materials displayed in an orderly manner to promote independence and autonomy. Preparing an environment at home does NOT mean buying toys marketed to Montessori. It does mean keep things simple and rotate toys.
Mixed-Age Interactions: Facilitate mixed-age interactions within the family, allowing siblings of different ages to learn from and support each other. Encourage older siblings to mentor younger ones and foster a sense of collaboration and mutual respect.
Hands-On Learning Opportunities: Provide hands-on learning opportunities and materials that encourage exploration, creativity, and problem-solving. Offer open-ended toys and activities that allow for imaginative play and experimentation. Involve your child in daily household chores, this teaches not only a specific skill but also responsibility and helping others.
Freedom within Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries and guidelines while allowing children freedom to make choices within those boundaries. Encourage independence in daily tasks such as dressing, meal preparation, and cleaning up, while providing support and guidance as needed. Children have more success when they know what to expect.
Respectful Communication: Foster respectful communication and interaction within the family. Listen to children's thoughts and feelings, validate their experiences, and involve them in decision-making processes whenever possible. Practice active listening strategies - looking at the person talking, asking questions in response and showing joy in conversations.
Practical Life Skills: Teach and model practical life skills such as cooking, gardening, and caring for the home. Involve children in age-appropriate tasks that contribute to the family's routines to encourage a sense of responsibility and competence.
Observation and Reflection: Practice observation and reflection to better understand children's needs, interests, and developmental stages. Take cues from children's behaviors and interests to adapt the home environment and activities accordingly.
Encourage Independence: Support children in developing independence and self-confidence by allowing them to take on age-appropriate responsibilities and challenges. Wait! Give them some space. Don’t jump in automatically to help them solve a problem.
Emphasis on Respect and Empathy: Cultivate a culture of respect, empathy, and kindness within the home. Teach children to treat others with dignity and compassion, and model these values in your own interactions and relationships.
Montessori is more than toys, materials or school buildings. Families can create a nurturing home environment that promotes children's growth, independence, and well-being in the Montessori way. Keep following along for more Montessori based parenting offerings.
“The greatest gift we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence. ”
