After talking about the different early childhood and elementary learning philosophies in class, it's important to relate that information to your every day life. You may love a specific philosophy, but it might not be practical to send your child to a school operating under that framework. So how can we incorporate the various approaches into our homes? into our parenting? Here are some ideas to prompt conversation or thought regarding a Montessori family. MontessoriMontessori's philosophy treats children as individuals capable of their own learning. This is called "child-directed." Montessori classrooms have materials at child-level (not inaccessible or off-limits), has many task-oriented objects, and opportunities to practice everyday life skills. Creating a child-friendly space means you have an area in the home (a spot in the family room, a playroom, the basement, etc.) that your child can explore freely. I recommend bolting any furniture to the wall, potentially enclosing the space, covering outlets, and removing small pieces for children under 3 (or prone to orally exploring objects). In this space, your child can enjoy the materials without your consistent presence or direction. In this space, you can organize the toys so they have a specific spot to go back to. Consider using pictures to help kids see where each item belongs. The materials you can provide are primarily close-ended. Close-ended toys are ones that have a specific way to engage with them. This includes puzzles, shape sorters, or books. In order to encourage concentration, plan to give your children uninterrupted play time in their space for at least an hour and a half. It can take an hour for kids to even get into their play (or "work"). Finally, Montessori treats children with respect and as capable beings. In the home, this means providing opportunities for your children to practice independence and autonomy. This could mean cleaning their playroom with picking up toys and sweeping, washing their own hands, washing their own dishes, placing food low on the refrigerator shelf so they can get their own snacks, taking out the garbage, zipping their own jackets, putting on their own shoes, providing them with their own table and chairs to eat at (instead of a highchair), etc.
You do not have to send your child to a Montessori school in order to achieve the benefits of a Montessori education. To learn more about Montessori at home, check out these books and sites:
Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission - at no cost for you. For more information, click here.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Emily BarstadParent Educator Archives
January 2020
Categories |