One of the many things that teachers do in the first few days of school is to ask children to talk about, write about, or in some way describe their summer activities. You remember that, right?
For some of us that was easy and fun because, maybe, we like to write (especially about ourselves) or we did a lot of things and went to a lot of places. But for others, this project might feel more challenging or even discouraging because they experienced everyday life at home, and it may not seem to be so exciting or alluring.
“Summer Journals” or diaries can be an opportunity to help your child see that all things are exciting, fun, and new in their own way. An appreciation if you will. Try talking with your child each night about their day and record it in a way that is appropriate for your child’s age and abilities. So, writing, drawing pictures, recording them telling their stories, and other creative ways all count!
These are some questions for you to use:
1. What was the silliest thing that happened today?
2. What was the worst thing that happened today?
3. What was the best thing that happened today?
I found these three questions can really get your child talking. You may need to help them get started by sharing your silliest, worst, or best. Remember once they open up, let them be the storyteller!
I also suggest that reading counts as part of your child’s summer adventures! Here are a few of my favorite books.
Make Music! by Norma Jean Hayes, Ann Sayre Wiseman, & John Langstaff
This is a wonderful resource with a wealth of projects for elementary-age children that have to do with creating music together. It’s fun, it’s broken down into categories from beginners to advanced music makers, and the illustrations are photos of real children in action and having a blast! Appropriate for ages 6-12.
Apple in the Middle by Dawn Quigley
Your 11–15-year-old will be captivated by Apple’s discoveries about herself, and her heritage as she spends the summer with her grandparents and others from her mother’s side of the family. She goes to a different place, experiences a culture that she knew very little about, and develops a new perspective about life. Appropriate for ages 11-15.
Our Peaceful Classroom by Aline D. Wolf
Lest we forget, this book will bring back memories of friends and activities from school days and may help with the transition for your young child back into the classroom and school life as the summer winds down. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
It’s a Book by Lane Smith
This is a hilarious book for older children. It cleverly and in a fun way depicts how in modern times, we are so attached to technology that we don’t know about or recognize a book in printed form. Love this one! Appropriate for ages 12-17.
Beach Walk by Backpack Explorers Series, Storey Publishing
This is a sturdy, somewhat water-resistant book that you can bring along on your trip to the beach. It includes a magnifying glass, which children really love to use when discovering new plants and animals by the water. There are lots of fun activities for you and your children to do together! Appropriate for ages 4- 10.
How to Find an Elephant by Kate Banks
There is an elephant (or part of one) on every page of this book, but you’ve got to really look! The words and illustrations entice the reader in a fantastic adventure, full of imagination and for hunting what otherwise might be obvious. Appropriate for ages 4-10.
1. Maintain a routine–getting up at a similar time each day, eating at regular times, keeping enough routine to keep your child comfortable. This is important for all ages. It gives them a sense of stability. It is especially important in early childhood, as these children are especially sensitive to order and consistency.
2. Keep up your family meeting schedule. Remember that family meetings provide opportunities for everyone to have a voice, be a leader, and take part in shaping the summer. If you have visitors, invite them to join your meeting.
3. Create and discuss family expectations for behavior at home, out on the town, and when traveling. These are great topics for family meetings as you prepare for summer.
4. Find out what each family member is hoping for from the summer and see if you can meet each family member’s goal. This is another topic for a family meeting. Remember to break down preparation topics into manageable pieces so that you don’t feel as if everything has to be covered in one meeting.
5. If possible, schedule only one or two activities or camps in the summer to provide consistency. Also, if these activities or camps can be chosen with your family values about respectful interactions among participants and adults in mind, the experience will probably be more enjoyable and productive for your child.
6. Let your child know about plans for the day and what may be required ahead of time so your child can plan. Even though you will share with each other at your family meetings what’s up for the week, it is important to look at each day in more detail as the day begins.
7. Allow for relaxation time each day, especially if you are traveling or have visitors. As always, we suggest that consciously planning for downtime is as important as planning for activities.
8. Encourage time for practical life activities–gardening, cooking, and cleaning. Practical life activities bring us back to our family community, interacting together, doing meaningful work, and learning to use math and science in our everyday lives.
9. If you don’t already have this, develop a quieting space for each family member. Creating “quieting spaces” for each family member involves multiple family meetings, so start planning them now. As school comes to an end, consider quieting spaces for summer travels.
10. Plan your schedule so that you’re home in time to prepare for the new school year. We always think that summer will last forever, but before we know it, it’s time to go back to school. It’s helpful to the whole family to get back into a home routine at least a week before school starts. •
Cheryl Allen is the Associate Coordinator of the MontessoriFamily Alliance and is also a parenting educator and a Montessori consultant with the MontessoriFoundation. Cheryl attended Montessori school as a child. After some time as a traditional Secondary teacher, she worked in Montessori classrooms, 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12, earning certifications from both AMS (3-6and 6-9) and IMC (6-12). She is a teacher educator, workshop presenter, and member of IMC accreditation teams. Cheryl’s two children attended Montessori from age two through high school graduation.
Lorna McGrath, MEd, is Director of IMC School Accreditation, Program Director of the MontessoriFamily Alliance, and Senior Consultant of The Montessori Foundation. Lorna has 41 years of experience in the field of education, teaching children from 18 months through 6 years old and from 12 through 18 years old in both public schools and independent Montessori schools. Lorna is a Montessori teacher educator, conference presenter, and school consultant. She can be reached at lornamcgrath@montessori.org
We know that children have a sense of order. The Montessori classroom is an orderly environment where every activity has its place.
Montessori teachers encourage children to use one activity at a time and to tidy up each activity after they have finished with it.
As parents, we expect that the Montessori philosophy will help our children to be tidy! In my experience as a teacher, it’s easier for children to tidy up in the classroom. The Montessori school is designed for children and leads naturally to order. There are clear rules and expectations, and children are more willing to clean up after themselves in the classroom.
What if I tell you that, despite being a Montessori teacher, my children’s bedrooms are not orderly? They don’t tidy up spontaneously. There are several reasons for that, and I have learned over the years what helps children to tidy up and to stay organized.
Three reasons why children don’t tidy up?
1. You might have heard of the sense of order? This is one of the ‘’sensitive periods’ observed by Maria Montessori. It is now described more as a tendency that all human beings must make sense of their environment. It’s not so much about “tidying up after themselves” or keeping their bedroom clean” as about routine, rhythm, and knowing what comes next.
They will express that sense of order about what matters for them. For example: sorting their little people; being obsessed about their collection of pebbles; sleeping with their special teddy is all about that sense of order!
“It seems to him, at this stage, a particularly vital matter that everything in his environment should be kept in its accustomed place; and that the actions of the day should be carried out in their accustomed routine.” – E.M. Standing, Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work, p. 123
Sense of order doesn’t equal being tidy!
2. Are you a tidy person? I’m very honest on this blog and on my social media about the fact that I am not a naturally tidy person. I used to have lots of clutter in my life.
I did a big work on myself to understand my hoarding tendencies and to learn to be more organized. So, if like 50 percent of the parents I work with, you tend to be “messy and disorganized,” you cannot expect that your children will be able to tidy up spontaneously. Children need role models. The more you clean and tidy in front of them, the more they will see it as being part of the routine.
3. They don’t see you cleaning and tidying! I have said it already but even the tidiest parent tends to “clean” when the children are not around. Have you ever sent your co-parent to the park with the children, to allow you to do a good clean-up session?
Do you tend to do everything when they nap? Or do you tend to tidy up all their toys at the end of the day when they are in bed? Stop now and do as much as you can in front of them. Montessori is about teaching life skills and independence, so taking care of the environment is something that I would advise you to focus on. Teach your child to fold the laundry, to do the dishes, empty the dishwasher, setting up the table, and cleaning the windows!
How to help children to tidy up?
• Work on yourself: if you are not naturally tidy, start with you! Do a big decluttering session, and try to understand why it’s hard for you to be orderly. Seek support if needed. Your children will thank you!
• Equally, if you are a very tidy person, lower your expectations; having a spotless house when we have children is just not possible. Review your definition of what is a tidy home.
• Be a role model: clean in front of your children. Even if you have a cleaner, try to do a task with them as a way to teach them. Involve them in the cleaning tasks: young toddlers, generally, love to clean! Give them child-size tools and don’t expect a brilliant result. Let them enjoy the process.
• Have fewer activities and toys available. The less there is to tidy, the easier it will be. Halve the amount of Legos™, blocks, train parts… Those sets tend to be difficult to tidy, and children get discouraged and stop cleaning up after themselves if they are overwhelmed by the task.
• Have a place for everything. Make sure you know the spot for each toy/activity. At the beginning of your Montessori journey, you might still move things around but try to limit a big overhaul, as it disturbs their sense of order and will prevent them from putting back what they have used.
• Make it playful: have a tidy-up song! or a silly dance. Have the animals go back to their basket, making sounds. Find what works for your child.
• Wait for when they are ready. When children are in a flow, playing intensely, it’s hard to know when it’s time to tidy up. It might be dinner time, but they might not be ready to stop playing. Wait for the moment they naturally seem to move onto a new activity to encourage them to put the previous one back on the shelf.
• Help them! It’s a skill, don’t expect them to do it consistently even if they have done it a few times. Like us, they are allowed cheat days.
What about older children?
Children in the second plane of development are messier than younger children. They are less interested in organizing the environment. They are less interested in practical life. They tend to spread out when they explore a topic. It’s because it’s an age when they make connections between concepts.
Their play area and toys might be in their bedroom. Their bedroom is their private area, and you might be less around when they play. Children in the second plane have access to toys that have small parts (Legos™ beads, …).
You can still rotate toys for that age group. You can have a rule that the Legos™ are stored in the living room, or the crafts are only accessible at the dining table. I recommend that you limit what they have access to in their bedroom. Make it part of the daily routine to tidy up for half an hour before dinner.
The bottom line: Mess is part of life but being tidier, as a family, will help everyone.
Having said that, let’s close with this quote: “Excuse the mess, the children are making memories!” •
Carine Robin has a master’s degree in psychology, specializing in child psychology. She worked for various social services in her home country of Belgium, before moving to Ireland in 2006.
It was there that she started working in a nursery and discovered Montessori education. After having her first child, her passion for the philosophy grew. She qualified as a Montessori teacher and managed a Montessori preschool.
Carine has been running Montessori-based parents and toddler groups and coaching families for 9 years. She now also runs an online group for over 20,000 parents, sharing her knowledge and passion with people from around the world.
In 2018, Carine realized families needed more support and launched her popular online parenting courses and monthly subscription boxes, full of personally designed Montessori materials.
Carine has also trained with Sarah Ockwell-Smith in BabyCalm and Toddler Calm, with Dr. Laura Markham on Peaceful Parenting, and most recently, at the prestigious Maria Montessori school in London, as an AMI Elementary and 0-3 assistant. She writes on a popular blog “the Montessori Family”. www.themontessorifamily.com Instagram: @montessorifamilyuk
A Montessori Approach to Building Intrinsic Motivation
42 ways that the Montessori approach builds intrinsic discipline in our children.
by Simone Davies
In my last article on a Montessori approach to discipline, I mentioned that we don’t use rewards, bribes, or punishment in a Montessori classroom. And there is not a teacher at the front telling everyone what they need to do. Yet, if you observe in a Montessori classroom, there is a gentle hum of conversation and movement and a lot of concentrated children who are motivated to work.
So, not surprisingly, I received many questions about a Montessori approach to building intrinsic motivation in the child. Intrinsic motivation is doing something because you have the inner drive to do it, not because of some external reason like a reward or threat.
I love a good list so here are 42 ways that the Montessori approach builds intrinsic discipline in our children.
Note: It’s a holistic approach where each part is intrinsically linked. So, while it may seem overwhelming to do all these things, rest assured they also naturally build on one another.
42 Ways to Build Intrinsic Motivation
1. Build an environment where they can have success; knowing where they can find things and having things at their level.
2. Create opportunities for them to build independence – they see themselves as capable.
3. Cultivate opportunities to work together, cooperate and care for others – they see their input matters; a 0-3 child is observing and beginning their social development in their family. With a care giver, and/or nursery; the 3-6 child is part of their family and their class; and the 6-12 child wants to work and be a part of a group.
4. Value process over product; there is more learning in the doing than in the result.
5. Use encouragement rather than praise. When they hear, “You worked hard to get your shirt on all by yourself ” rather than “good job,” they learn to look to themselves to understand what worked, rather than looking to us for praise.
6. Give them freedom to work on things they are interested in – rather than what the teacher/adult tells them – or a timeline.
7. Provide safe limits. Offer security and show that someone cares about them.
8. Allow them the freedom to choose what, where, and with whom they’d like to work.
9. Provide a clear rhythm to their day so that they know what to expect.
10. Help them learn respect for themselves, each other, and the environment – they feel truly accepted and learn to accept others.
11. Encourage those agreements are made together – they feel like a valued member of the community.
12. Let them know that it’s a safe place to practice boundaries – we can support them with words if needed, “I’d like to work by myself right now. It will be available soon.”
13. Honor who they are; each member is unique and valued – builds their sense of self.
14. Help them learn to look after themselves, others, and the environment – it’s empowering to be able to do this for themselves.
15. Show trust in them – by removing external rewards and punishments.
16. Help them to make amends when needed – they know that when they get it wrong, they will take responsibility and learn from the experience.
17. Value curiosity – learning is about finding out rather than memorizing facts
18. Allow them to have choices – they have ‘agency’ in their days
19. Provide honest, instructive feedback – we see what’s going well and how they can do better; give them gentle guidance to keep improving.
20. Offer different ways to learn; we all learn in different ways and on different days; the materials appeal to kinesthetic, visual, and aural learners, and they can choose how they’d like to present their work, from a booklet to a survey to a poster etc.
21. Be their guide – not their boss or servant
22. Help children build ‘scaffold skills’ – where each activity builds on the next to allow mastery.
23. Support them to develop their own routines/ rhythms, such as taking an activity to a table or mat and returning it when it’s done.
24. Help children develop their thinking skills – they are learning to learn through hands-on learning and making discoveries for themselves; they help younger children and consolidate their own learning; they reflect on what they have learned.
25. Keep it real; children are not learning just for the sake of learning. They are learning how it applies in the real world giving meaning to their work.
26. The absence of tests or punishments allows a natural love of learning, while maintaining their creativity and interest in learning
27. Model intrinsic motivation ourselves as adults; our actions are more powerful than our words.
28. Provide control-of-error activities, which will allow children to discover their errors and try again.
29. Offer challenges at the appropriate level. Children do not feel unmotivated, because they know that they can do hard things, and they do not want to give up.
30. Encourage service in the community. This allows children to see and appreciate the impact of their work.
31. Children can have a healthy relationship with failure: the guide and classmates are supportive; children are able to stay with something until they master it and are ready to move onto the next activity; and they learn to ask for help if needed.
32. Remove competition for sticker charts or praise; children do not need rewards from others. Help them look to themselves instead of someone else.
33. Allow time to help children build skills, e.g., planning skills, learning to dress themselves, how to make a report, etc.
34. Children are in charge of their own learning: they learn uniquely, have their unique interests; and are on their own unique timeline.
35. Adults can trust the Montessori process, without forcing their own agenda.
36. Help children support themselves as they become members of their society.
37. Be patient; learning happens at its own pace and isn’t forced.
38. Plant seeds of curiosity, enough to get them interested, and not too much to allow them to discover the rest for themselves.
39. Encourage the possibility for big work and big ideas that looks at the interdisciplinary nature of the universe.
40. Allow space for all voices; we want everyone in our community to feel valued, accepted, and safe.
41. Avoid criticism or correction; instead, observe where children are in their process, and offer another opportunity to teach it again.
42. Learn from others. We can see others learning and be inspired to learn that too.
It’s never too late to start applying these principles. We can even scaffold the skills with a child in Upper Elementary (9-12 years), first helping them plan, then letting them take over more and more steps themselves. •
Simone Davies is the author of The Montessori Toddler and co-author of The MontessoriBaby, comprehensive guides to raising toddlers and infants in a Montessori way. The books are based on her 15+ years’ experience working as an AMI Montessori teacher in Sydney and in Amsterdam. She also has a popular blog, Instagram, and podcast “The Montessori Notebook”.She is also mother to two young adults.Simone currently runs parent-childMontessori classes in Amsterdam at her school, Jacaranda Tree Montessori, and is working on another book with Junnifa Uzodike, The Montessori Child for children from 3-12 years.
With hundreds of practical ideas for every aspect of living with a toddler, here are five principles for feeding your child’s natural curiosity, from “Trust in the child” to “Fostering a sense of wonder.” Step-by step ways to cultivate daily routines with ease, like brushing teeth, toilet-training, and dealing with siblings
What happens when we normalize ‘disaster’ thinking and accept the mess
by Alicia Diaz-David
When my son was two years old, he scribbled on his dump truck with a brown marker and announced that he would wash it right there in the middle of our living room floor. My first reaction was to gasp when I noticed the brown scribbles. My second reaction was to see where his plan of action would take him.
So, I watched as he used the foaming soap dispenser to lather his hands and then rub the foam on the dump truck that was still on the living room floor. And I watched as he headed to the bathroom to fill his large bath-time cup with water to rinse off the foamy soap.
And that’s when I jumped in. Not stopping him but offering him another line of thinking by asking what would happen if he poured the water on the truck right there where it was. Thankfully, he responded that it would spill. I suggested we bring the dump truck outside to our front steps, where a giant water spill would not matter as much.
And the rest happened as you might imagine. My son happily poured water over the soapy brown marker and watched as it splashed on the cement pavers, instead of the living room floor. He went back inside the house to get a towel, which he smoothed over the water droplets on his beloved dump truck. And he smiled proudly at all that he had done.
If you are familiar with the principles of Montessori and the practice of following the child, this story may seem reasonable enough. It may seem as nothing more than a toddler exploring and experimenting with his dump truck and a mom observing and conscientiously guiding the learning moment that would unfold. However, when I submitted this story for a recent publication, it was changed. The edited version included the words, “This is going to be a disaster,” and I admit it stopped me in my tracks when I read it.
Not only was I impacted by the fact that a piece of original writing would be so altered, but also by the idea that our current thinking about children exploring and experimenting is so readily equated to things turning into a disaster.
The truth is, there is a great deal of learning in the so-called disaster. The mindful parent recognizes the learning potential when a child is following her own reasoning. The prepared adult is ever-present, jumping in to help only with the hard parts. That is the true meaning of Montessori parenting, as I’ve read in countless books, learned in Montessori training, and experienced personally with my own children at home.
So, I write today to challenge this thinking and normalize what we would otherwise consider a ‘disaster.’ When we let our children explore their ideas, when we observe this process, we realize that we are truly being given the gift of watching a genius at play.
Our job as adults is not to limit or edit this experience but to let it unfold and only redirect it when necessary. What I learned from my two-year-old son that day—what I witnessed—was a young toddler exhibiting complex executive-function skills, a little boy filled with resolute determination, a confident multi-cultural child ready and willing to solve problems in the world.
I hope that in the future, we don’t edit stories like this. These are moments to cherish for what they are … the awakening of life itself. •
Alicia Diaz-David is a parent and educator with over 15 years’ experience in education. She has followed the Montessori approach at home since her children were born and is a certified Montessori guide for ages 3-6. She is also the founder of TeachLearnMontessori.org, which is dedicated to helping parents better understand the Montessori philosophy and simplify the approach. You can learn more about supporting children’s growth and development using Montessori via the real-life stories she shares on Instagram @MontessoriwithAlicia or on her blog at TeachLearnMontessori.org.
As part of our microeconomics course, we partnered with Marc Seldin and Mark Tough to include a pilot of their college-level learning program called “Rising Innovators,“ for adolescents. Rising Innovators is an experiential course, providing students with an introductory blend of the hard and soft skills needed to begin their journey towards creating a new small business. The program included seven weeks of discussion, lecture, and the presentation of case studies, culminating in a team-based activity, focused on the creation of a business idea that was presented by teams at the final pitch competition, like “Shark Tank.” One of the judges on our panel coined it “Guppy Tank”.
The competition took place on Wednesday, February 23. There were six teams. The teams varied from a team of one to a team of five. The panel consisted of seven judges with a variety of experiences. Two of the judges were seniors in NewGate’s I.B. business program. One judge was a senior at the University of Tampa, and the other three judges had vast experiences owning and running successful small businesses.
The judges were handed a rubric to help score each team’s performance. Each team was evaluated on three components: a pitch deck (colored slides that discussed their big idea, target market, and market analysis); a one-sheet synopsis that captured their pitch deck’s main points (something they could leave behind for potential investors), and lastly, each team was evaluated on their overall presentation (style points, eye contact, and team coordination). After each pitch, the team was peppered with thoughtful (sometimes tough) questions by the judges. Team members had to quickly think on their feet, and some realized that they don’t have all the answers. They realized that when you don’t know the answer to something, sometimes the best response is, “That’s a great question; let me get back to you on that.” Most importantly, the question-and-answer session provided an amazing opportunity for the students to hear direct and honest feedback from the judges — valuable, honest feedback from adults who were not their teachers. As well, the judges were able to weave in bits of wisdom and common sense by providing constructive criticism for each team.
All six teams performed well. Their big ideas were truly innovative and varied. Some of the ideas were ways in which we could innovate the recycling of plastic grocery bags (building a hydro-powered generator that collects rainwater to power a home) and a shoe that grows with your feet. The students were well-poised and genuinely seemed excited to present their work. The winning team walked away with a cash prize and high-fives.
What lessons did the students receive from this course? By reading various case studies, the students realized that everyday folks, from young to old, were able to turn a big idea into a dream by taking initiative and working hard. They realized most ideas in our marketplace are not inventions, but rather, innovations. The idea that they can take something that is already out there and make it better, instead of trying to come up with something totally new was quite appealing to them. In this fashion, the task seemed more attainable. They began to understand that entrepreneurship requires a positive mental attitude, initiative, hard work, and followthrough — qualities we try to instill in our students at a young age. The students also realized that a fancy, well-designed pitch deck and one sheet are subordinate to their ability to tell a good story and maintain good eye contact with their audience. In fact, the most consistent feedback from the judges was whether or not the presenters made good eye contact. Students learned a valuable lesson — reading from a script does not earn you style points in public speaking. An important lesson for all. •
Gillett Cole is an AMI trained Montessori Guide who has been teaching for 13 years. He is currently teaching language arts, mathematics, and microeconomics to middle school students at the NewGate school in Sarasota, Florida. He and his family recently moved to Sarasota in August of 2021 from St. Paul, Minnesota. Gillett has two daughters, who both went to Montessori schools, and are now in college. Gillett loves the outdoors, swimming, sailing, and a good book.
Summer is a time of more daylight, warmer temperatures, and more time outdoors. We may think that, for children who are out of school in the summer, it is not a time of learning. Yet, it can be an incredible time of learning. Here are fifty ways to help your child learn and grow while not in school.
Explore
1. Let your child plan an activity for the day or some activities for the summer. They can use maps, stick to a budget, and do the research.
2. Go on a searching hike, in nature or an urban setting; look for objects in the shapes of the letters in your name, or in sets of your favorite number, or particular colors.
3. Learn about the plants and animals that are near you. What are those birds by your home? What are the names of the plants you see every day?
4. Walk at your child’s pace. Notice the smells of different plants, admire the bugs, follow your child’s lead.
5. Play board games.
6. Learn card or magic tricks.
7. Learn jokes and present a comedy show.
8. Play unplugged games, such as Hangman, your own version of Pictionary, I Spy, or other paper-and-pencil games.
9. Think of free or inexpensive ways you could help neighbors and act on them.
10. Create a scavenger hunt and follow the clues.
11. Try out new playgrounds nearby.
12. Go to a grocery store you do not usually go to, especially if it has a focus on an ethnicity different than your usual cooking.
13. Allow time for daydreaming.
14. Try outdoor science experiments.
15. Plan a dream vacation.
16. Find some art to admire, outside or in a museum. Discuss what each person likes about it.
17. Explore distances and make a map. How far are you from family members, favorite types of animals, friends, or any other thing that can be mapped?
Communicate
18. Make time for reading every day, or nearly every day.
19. Visit the library and allow your child to make choices of reading material on their own.
20. Encourage your child to tell a friend or a family member about a book they read; retelling helps develop understanding.
21. Write letters to friends and family.
22. Address the envelope for that letter. Writing the address correctly on an envelope takes practice.
23. Keep a summer journal or a travel journal. Write in it regularly and include printed photos, pressed flowers, or leaves, ticket stubs, maps, or any reasonably flat items that remind them of the events written about.
24. Have your child create lists for things to do, grocery lists, books read or books to read, movies to watch, anything that can be listed.
25. Write a letter to their future self and store it or use a site that will email you in a certain amount of time.
26. Create a kindness list; how many acts of kindness can be performed this summer?
27. Count cars, bikes, dogs, flowers, anything you see regularly in your travels.
28. Find letters of the alphabet or make up a silly sentence using letters or words on items in the grocery store. Only one word or letter per item!
Create
29. Build a design of your child’s own creation or follow the directions from a set, with Legos™, blocks, or other building materials.
30. Learn to build card houses.
31. Plan and build a birdhouse.
32. Make your own playdough and sculpt with it.
33. Water down paint, place paper outside, and use squirt guns filled with the watery paint for a creation.
34. Set up objects outside and trace their shadows onto paper.
35. Put on a show–write it, practice it, design costumes and props, and perform for others. Record the show to share it with family that cannot attend in person.
36. Use chalk to draw outside, then use water and a scrub brush to erase it.
37. Plan dinner for a night and help make it.
38. Make a salad. Make dressing to go with it for an extra skill-building opportunity.
39. Grow vegetables and harvest them for dinner.
40. Find a recipe and cook with a new-to-you food.
41. Shuck corn, peel potatoes, wash, and spin lettuce dry, participate in cooking preparation.
42. For older children, set a cooking challenge to use ingredients and make a meal.
43. Sketch or paint flowers at your home or a nearby location.
44. Draw self-portraits directly on the mirror using window markers.
45. Clean the mirror after drawing on it.
46. Wash windows (an adult may need to wash the top).
47. Water the garden or potted plants.
48. Organize an area of your home together, especially one that your child uses regularly.
49. Explore with cash, count coins, save for an item, buy something with cash and check the change received.
50. Make leaf or bark rubbings and label them with the type of tree or bush they came from. •
Cheryl Allen is the Associate Coordinator of the Montessori Family Alliance and is also a parenting educator and a Montessori consultant with the Montessori Foundation. Cheryl attended Montessori school as a child. After some time as a traditional Secondary teacher, she worked in Montessori classrooms, 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12, earning certifications from both AMS (3-6 and 6-9) and IMC (6-12). She is a teacher educator, workshop presenter, and member of IMC accreditation teams. Cheryl’s two children attended Montessori from age two through high school graduation.
“What the hand does, the mind remembers.” – Dr. Maria Montessori
If a child is able to use their hands to discover, their discoveries become more meaningful to them. The concepts they learn are much more rooted than any rote memorization could be, because in using their hands, they experience their learning. They are an active participant.
Active Education
If you picture a traditional classroom, you would likely see a teacher standing at the front of the room near a black- or whiteboard, speaking to children who are lined up in desks, memorizing facts, or attentively looking at and listening to their instructor.
In recent years, concepts such as “table groups” and “flexible seating,” where children can sit in small groups, or choose where they sit, have allowed for some redesign throughout the classroom.
In addition to the arrangement of the environment itself, many teachers and administrators have also looked to hands-on or non-traditional classroom experiences like “project-based learning,” “design thinking,” “the maker movement,” and “the flipped classroom,” for ways to engage children in their learning.
These shifts in education are a reminder that schooling isn’t one-size-fits-all. Individual needs can be addressed when we take the time to step back, assess what we are doing, and make the decision to move forward with purpose. Need some guidance for change? Read on!
Making Changes
If you are unsure where to start, let me give you one powerful idea.
Start with the child’s hands. Sure. Easy. The child’s hands. What? Let me explain.
If you can make a change in learning, begin with just one simple step. Try this: begin by watching hands. Hands are smart. Really smart. Just like our heads. Often, however, this seems to be forgotten.
If you ever have the opportunity to observe someone learning a new skill, I would challenge you to watch their hands. It is through touching and manipulating that information is taken in through the hands and delivered to the brain.
Use Your Hands!
Adults seem to think that it is okay for younger children to work with their hands when they are learning. Think about it: sandboxes, water tables, Play-doh™! But somewhere along the way, these manipulatives got a bad rap for being “childish.” Why?
If you’ve ever seen someone participate in an activity they love, you’ve very likely seen them using their hands! You’ve likely witnessed someone building with tools, fixing up a vehicle, or playing an instrument. How about someone turning the page of a book, digging in the dirt while gardening, or making food?
Why should learning through math, science, history, or languages be any different? Utilize an abacus for addition, measure velocity when launching a marshmallow with a spoon, tea-dye a map, or handle pairs of objects that rhyme. Whether formal or informal education, using your hands helps!
In the Montessori Classroom
Dr. Maria Montessori was a scientist who spent time observing children. In doing so, she realized that children wanted real-world, hands-on application for learning. Not only did they want it, but they also experienced joy in using their hands.
Through experimentation and careful calculation, Montessori developed materials for children to use. These lessons intentionally foster self-discovery and serve learning goals. Over one hundred years later, the observations she made then still hold true. Regardless of subject matter, children enjoy, and benefit from, using their hands to learn.
In a Montessori classroom you will see hands-on learning EVERYWHERE! A child washing a table is learning care of their environment, while also preparing their hand muscles for similar movements in writing. Placing cubes on top of one another for the Pink Tower allows children to learn precision of movement, while also allowing their body to experience, physically, the difference in 1 cubic centimeter ten times over! Not only this, but it is also teaching the basics of the mathematics base ten system. Rarely is a lesson in a Montessori classroom taught for one purpose only, and usually, with time, the hands-on learning leads to multiple objectives.
A Personalized Journey
Learning is not a race with a finish line. It’s a constant stroll through a variety of experiences that all necessitate different paths and use different materials.
Whether Montessori is your muse, you want to improve learning for your students, or you just personally like to get your hands dirty, don’t wait! The world is waiting for you. Explore! Dig in! •
Mary Ellen Maunz is the Founder and Program Director of Age of Montessori. She has more than 50 years of experience inMontessori education for both teachers and parents. She collaborated for two decades with Dr. Elisabeth Caspari, student and personal friend of Maria Montessori. She is an international authority on Early Childhood and Elementary education and has lectured and taught students in seven countries on five continents. Internationally-renowned author and lecturer, Maunz is on a lifelong mission to help parents understand the underlying needs of the developing child. Find our blogs, webinars, professional development and MACTE certified teacher education courses at: ageofmontessori.org
In this article, we will discuss the appropriateness of the long-standing tradition of using the term “friends” as an all-encompassing definition of peer relationships in the early childhood classroom environment. Through a personal anecdote that spurred self-reflection and a pivot in my own teaching practices, we will discover informed alternatives that ease the pressure created by expectations of universal friendship.
“But what is a social life if not the solving of social problems, behaving properly, and pursing aims acceptable to all?”
Ubiquitous in almost all preschool classrooms across the country, both Montessori and mainstream, is the idea that we’re all friends. But are we really?
Receiving lessons in, and creating an environment rich in, Grace and Courtesy is a hallmark of a good Montessori education. But is universal friendship an equally essential ideal? As guides in the Montessori toddler and primary environments and beyond, we want pleasant interactions among our students. We want cooperative work and play efforts. We want classrooms full of children who enjoy being there and being together. And we guide, teach, and prepare the environment, with those goals in mind.
But do we need to enforce the idea that we’re all friends?
It wasn’t until I became the parent of a primary-aged Montessori student that I came face-to-face with the pitfalls of this concept. All my previous years of experience in the world of early childhood education were full of songs and encouragements, championing the same basic message: we’re all friends.
But what if that’s not true?
Here’s what happened to jumpstart this shift in my thinking. My daughter, four years old at the time and a second-year primary student, was having trouble with a boy in her class. As the toddlers’ guide in the same school, I had the benefit of hearing the teachers discuss various students and how to handle the challenging situations that crop up in any given year. Plus, we share a playground and recess time. So, I was able to observe my daughter and her class daily. I knew that this boy, new to the school, was having a harder time than most acclimating to the classroom environment and was targeting a few specific children with some of the worst of his behaviors. My daughter was one of them.
As parents, my husband and I fielded her frustrations and complaints at home with the standard responses: Talk to him and tell him “No.” Your friends should make you feel good pretty much all the time; if they’re not, and if they’re not respecting your body, then you don’t have to be friends with them.
It was at that point that my daughter broke down into crocodile-sized tears and said, “But my teacher says we’re all friends.”
It felt like the air was knocked from my lungs. In that moment, it felt like the entirety of my teaching career flashed before my eyes. How many times had I said those same exact words to my students? We’ve sung those words and sentiments at our morning circle countless times. Full of the best intentions, I’ve said them over and over to children who were struggling to get along.
But what if that phrase, that sentiment, is doing more harm than good?
What if it’s giving young children, and their developing social skills and social understandings, a skewed idea of what friendship is and what it means to exist in a cooperative environment with our peers?
As adults, we live and work in a society with each other. We navigate relationships of all kinds in many ways. But no one ever expects us to be friends with everyone with whom we regularly interact. Why do we ask that of children?
Instead of saying we’re all friends, let’s try, “We are a community” instead. In communities, people are expected to act with grace and courtesy toward each other, but they are not expected to be friends with everyone. We can set healthy boundaries and still be kind. We can recognize how other people make us feel and choose who we honor with the title of ‘friend’.
In a community, we can all work towards the same goals; we can share experiences. We can learn and grow together. We can do all these classroom basics without the pressure of being friends with every single person.
After I caught my breath, I looked my daughter in her tear-rimmed eyes and said, “You do not have to be friends with anyone who makes you feel this badly. You are classmates and part of the same community. You need to be kind to each other, but you do not have to be friends.”
The relief that realization had on my daughter was immediate and profound. And its magnitude hit me in the same way. Children, even young children, can be classmates without the pressure or expectation of being friends.
As guides, and as parents, we know that some children’s personalities are like oil and water. It is so much more empowering to say to them honestly, “You don’t have to be friends, but you must be respectful, kind, and courteous to each other.”
Perhaps then, as these children grow, they’ll have a healthier view of friendship. We can hope that they will have a more robust emotional and social tool kit for existing cooperatively with people who they just don’t click with well.
And, what a poignant lesson this could be for us as an American community right now. We might not all be friends, we might disagree, but we must be respectful, kind, and courteous to each other.
“The social rights of children must be recognized so that a world suited to their needs may be constructed for them.” – Maria Montessori
REFERENCES:
Montessori, M. (1967) The Absorbent Mind, p225
Montessori, M. (1966) The Secret of Childhood, p225
Betsy Merena is an AMS certified toddler guide at The Montessori School of Westminster inWestminster, Maryland with over a decade of teaching experience in early childhood classrooms. Along with her husband and daughter, now in her first year of lower elementary at the same school,Betsy loves to explore the world through travel and cooking. She also volunteers asa Girl Scout troop leader for her daughter’s troop and enjoys spending time camping.
10 Things to Whisper in Your Child’s Ear Every Day
by Gavin McCormack, reprinted by permission
1. I believe in you 100 percent. Whatever you want to be, I’ll be right behind you.
2. Be yourself; that’s all you can do. You’re amazing just as you are, and I love you.
3. I trust you, and you can trust me. If you make a mistake or do something wrong, that’s ok! We all make mistakes!
4. I will always be by your side. No matter how far away you are from me, just call and I’ll be right there!
5. I’m your friend. I may be a lot older than you, but I love being with you just as much as you love being with me!
6. Try to be as kind as you can to everyone you meet. Smile, love, care, and laugh. That’s all I ask of you.
7. Try your best; that’s good enough for me. But whatever you do, don’t ever give up. Don’t ever let doubt get in your way. If you can imagine it, you can become it!
8. If you see someone crying on the playground, sitting on their own, or looking lonely, go over, hold their hand, and make sure they’re ok! Imagine what it would be like to be so sad!
9. Take care of plants, animals, and insects. They’re all part of the universe, and so are you. The world is your home, but it’s also theirs. Let’s share it together.
10. I love you, unconditionally!
Gavin McCormack is a trainedMontessori teacher, children’sauthor, teacher trainer,philanthropist and schoolprincipal. While working in the teachingprofession for over twenty years, hehas used his experience and training tounderstand what it means to truly educatewith true intention. Initially trained as amainstream primary school teacher, Gavinre-trained as a Montessori teacher wherehe found the understanding and experiencethat has inspired him to build severalschools and teacher training centres inthe Himalayan regions of Nepal. Gavin hastrained teachers, parents and educationalleaders across the world. In 2022 he joinedMontessori Australia as our Ambassador.
Why Physical Play Must Be Part of the Formula When Kids Head Back to School
By Preston Blackburn
What began abruptly as a stay-at-home mandate two springs ago settled in for significantly longer than any of us expected. Fortunately, with vaccines, we are trending back toward normalcy. One of the brightest spots we are seeing is children returning to their classrooms in person.
As we get ready for a school year in the classroom rather than virtual, many educators are considering how to make up for suspected learning losses that may have occurred during a year of virtual school (Pearson, 2021). From an adult perspective, the first reaction might be to buckle down and power through as much curriculum content as possible to bridge any gaps in acquired knowledge. But is this the right answer? I would argue emphatically, no.
Play is the way kids wring out their brains. The brain is like a sponge. Once it is full, it cannot continue to absorb until it has been wrung out. As adults, we instinctively take breaks when we are working. We grab a coffee, head to the water cooler, or take a peek at social media. These breaks give the brain time to wring itself out.
Play is the way kids wring out their brains. Play is a time for resetting and relaxing their focus, so that their brains are more alert when it is time to go back to the desk. Students’ play was already being restricted before the pandemic. Reports found 44 percent of school administrators had already reduced recess and PE time to increase academics, despite studies proving that more time in recess leads to bigger gains in the classroom (Reilly, 2017). Coming back to school post-shutdown, we must remember to include play-based breaks. It is play that helps kids build strengths and motor patterns needed for classroom success, and it is play that helps kids develop social skills needed for lifetime success.
How Play Leads to Physical Skills and Strength, Leading to Classroom Success
Kids need strength in their arms, legs, necks, and core to sit at a desk, hold and move a pencil, or keep their bodies still so they can pay attention. Children build strength in play when they run, climb, and swing.
Kids need to know where their bodies end and begin, so they can transfer that information to the page as they learn to write. How much space does a letter, or a sentence take up? What direction are they moving their pencil when they write? Children learn these skills in play when they hide under the bed in a game of hide and seek or shimmy through a fence to explore what lies beyond.
Kids need to master rhythm so they can internalize patterns, which help them understand the rhythm of language, the sequence of writing, the patterns of math, the order of logic and reasoning. They develop rhythm in play while jumping, throwing, and skipping.
In addition, children’s aerobic activity releases chemicals in their brains that enhance cognition, behavior, and memory; thereby, having a direct impact on their learning trajectory. Kids get aerobic in big physical play.
These skills and strengths can only be built in movement. And children move best when they are engaged in big physical play. While some children were able to get outside and engage in big, body play during virtual schooling, many did not, spending more time on screens than ever before. As we look to bridge the academic development gap, we need to also bridge the physical development gap that grew for some of our most vulnerable students.
And we know that recess works. Consider Finland, a country known for scoring in the top levels of international academic exams. Finnish children get 15 minutes of outdoor recess in every hour of classroom time. Outdoor play allows them to explore with their bodies and gives their brains that crucial reset, helping them achieve academic success. Here in the U.S., Eagle Mountain Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas decided to apply this theory by tripling their recess time to 60 minutes every day. Teachers worried that they would not be able to maintain their academic schedule, but by winter break, every single class was ahead of the academic schedule despite 40 fewer minutes of class time each day.
How Play Develops Social and Emotional Skills
There are the crucial social and emotional skills that can only be developed in play. When humans engage in self-directed, unstructured play, we learn how to socialize, collaborate, and read body language. We learn assertiveness, boundary setting, sharing, and restraint.
Imagine a playground filled with children engaged in play. The first thing you might notice is the sound. It is usually joyous and loud. Evolution and biology designed us to enjoy this kind of big, body, physical play. It builds key physical strengths and skills, like those listed above. It also helps children build lifetime social skills.
It might look like this: One child initiates a play idea, maybe a new idea or the continuation of a previous game. Another friend may join and suggest a modification, sending the play in a new direction. Over and over, new ideas and new alternatives surface as the play evolves. Inevitably, conflict will arise and possibly one player will become aggressive. When this happens, the other player may pull back, giving signs of displeasure with this sort of play. Or a player may have his idea dismissed and take exception, or there may not be enough equipment or material to continue the play as planned. Whatever the challenge, the players have a choice: Find a solution or the play will come to an end.
Play is the way kids wring out their brains.
How can this kind of play be woven into a child’s day?
These exchanges demonstrate the power of unstructured play. Children want the play to continue. They take ownership of the play. They are in charge of the game, they make the rules, and they have a vested interest in continuing the game. Out of this fundamental ownership grows a wealth of learning and development. And, for many children, this sort of interactive, conflict-resolving play was missing from their days during the pandemic shutdown. Many children missed out on a year of the give-and-take of listening to the ideas of peers, of sharing scarce materials, of finding a way to make the game work. The social and emotional learning that comes from this play is just as essential—maybe even more essential—as any academic skills missing from their repertoire.
How can this kind of play be woven into a child’s day? Through both structured and unstructured play. Structured play is adult-directed and designed, while children direct unstructured play. Children need both. Finding time for play in the school day is crucial for making a dent in any learning losses from the past year.
To start with, children should have unstructured play at recess every single day, for at least 30 minutes, but the more the better. There is really no excuse for eliminating this break in the day. Removing recess only makes the school day more challenging for everyone, putting stumbling blocks in front of learning.
Structured play is also crucial to children’s development. It takes place in PE but can move beyond the gym and into any learning environment with a little creativity and planning. Using play and movement in teaching helps kids secure neural connections in their brains, anchoring new knowledge. Whether it is adding physical movement to a memorization task or doing pushups to answer math problems, movement in learning helps children retain what they have learned. Believe it or not, something as simple as spelling practice can be active, sweaty, and fun. An example game can be seen above (Spelling Frenzy Relay).
Children can do these games at home, as well, with siblings or on their own.
There are many ways to add physical movement to academics. Do long division with sidewalk chalk and make it a dance. Use action words to practice rhyming. Hop down a giant number line. When students move, they learn.
All of us want children to be successful in all aspects of life. We want them to be strong students, with strong bodies, and strong friendships. These crucial skills suffered during virtual learning. We cannot further jeopardize students’ physical, social, and emotional development in the quest for checking off boxes on an academic curriculum. Play-based skills make us better people from the classroom to the boardroom. These are not skills that can be learned from an app, a computer, or flashcards. These skills are only developed in play—play that must be in every school day. •
Spelling Frenzy Relay
Work on spelling, practice teamwork, and get aerobic
Set-Up: Children are divided into teams of 2–4 children each. Each team has a set of three-letter words with one letter missing from each one (e.g., H _ T, _ I E, S E _). Scattered on the floor are cards with letters that could complete the words. The first team member finds a letter to complete one word, runs to the opposite side of the room around a cone or chair, comes back to complete the word, and tags the next teammate. Play continues until the team’s words are complete.
Pearson, C. 2021. 1/11/21. “Experts Predict What School Will Look Like Next Fall.” Huffington Post retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/expertspredict-what-school-will-look-like-nextfall_l_5ffc916cc5b66f3f79601ffe
Reilly, K. 10/23/17. “Is Recess Important for Kids or a Waste of Time? Here’s What Research Says.” Time. Retrieved from https://time.com/4982061/ recess-benefits-research-debate/
Wong, A. 11/15/16. “Why Kids Need Recess.” The Atlantic
Preston Blackburn created Pop, Hop& Rock™ in 2000, when her children were preschoolers. What started as an exercise program has evolved into one that focuses on creating opportunities for children to hone fundamental motor skills, which allows them to develop physical literacy and foundational strengths, proven to help them find success socially, emotionally, behaviorally,and cognitively in the classroom and beyond.www.pophopandrock.com
One of the most challenging parts of having children in school is making lunches. With some guidance, children can make their own lunch. It then becomes a win/win situation. You do not need to make lunch daily, your child gets to practice practical life skills, and your children are more likely to eat their lunches. As with all new skills, it may take more time initially, yet the work and time will benefit both of you for years to come.
How can a young child prepare their lunch each day? Preparation of the environment, the necessary tools, and a lesson will all be necessary.
Preparing the Environment:
• Make appropriate food for lunches available at child height. This may mean reserving space on a low cabinet and low shelf in the refrigerator for lunch materials. At our house, we used colored baskets in the cabinet and refrigerator to quickly designate which items were for lunches.
• If needed, divide the food into servings before lunches are made. Your child can help you do this after school or over the weekend. If five baby carrots are an appropriate serving for your child, make a few bags with five carrots in each.
• Make sure your child can open and close any containers used and manage their lunch box.
• Consider when lunch should be prepared. If your child has trouble getting out of the house in the morning, make lunch the night before and store it in the refrigerator if needed. If your child is usually ready early, the morning is a great time for this job.
The Necessary Tools:
• Have utensils your child can use to make lunch, such as: a knife for spreading and cutting; a cutting board; containers that your children can open and close; and lunch boxes that allow them to pack easily.
• A list of ideas in written or picture form may be helpful for your child.
• Decide what you expect for lunch. What constitutes a main meal? What is a snack? Do you have a guideline of how many fruits or vegetables need to be included?
A Lesson or a few lessons):
• Discuss the plan with your child.
• Show where the tools and materials for making lunch are.
• Talk about what should be included in lunch and why, i.e., you need energy for growth and your day; these foods are not allowed at school for allergy or other health reasons; these items do not transport well. Share the reason for the guidelines.
• Work with your child the first few times and discuss what you are doing and checking: e.g., “I don’t see any fruit in here. Would you like to add a fruit or another vegetable?”
• Show your child how to clean out their lunch box at home before just adding to it.
Follow Up:
• Peek inside the lunches that are going to school. Do they meet nutritional needs as you expect?
• Discuss options and ideas with your child before grocery shopping.
• If you have leftovers from dinner, ask if your child would like some for lunch and plan together how to make that work.
• Let your child’s teacher know that your family is making this change. Your child may be pleased and possibly even distracted by the lunch they made at first, so letting the teacher know means they can help with these changes.
Enjoy the small break this gives you and the independence it gives your child.
Cheryl Allen is the Associate Coordinator of the Montessori Family Alliance and is also a parenting educator and a Montessori consultant with the Montessori Foundation. Cheryl attended Montessori school as a child. After sometime as a traditional Secondary teacher, she worked in Montessori classrooms, 3-6, 6-9,and 9-12, earning certifications from both AMS (3-6 and 6-9) and IMC (6-12). She is a teacher educator, workshop presenter, and member of IMC accreditation teams. Cheryl’s two children attended Montessori from age two through high school graduation.
The NewGate School, Global Campus Students, Research Their Place on Earth and Weave a Story to Share
By Amy Kremer-Treibly and Elizabeth Hale
The NewGate School’s Global Campus is composed of students in seventh through twelfth grades who live in Canada, the US, the Caymans, and Tanzania. These students are the first cohort of the Global Campus, and they work together with a dedicated faculty for humanities, math, science, and Spanish academic courses, as well as working in their home communities on creativity, physical wellness, and service.
Adolescents seek answers to key questions: Who am I? Where am I? What’s happening?
In order to gain insights and impressions of where each student resides, they set out as investigators of their own backyard, town, city, and country, with special attention to who inhabited the land first, including animals, plants, and humans. Students have been sharing their stories as presentations to the community in Opening Meetings held each morning of the week. This project offers a rich opportunity for students to explore the question of where do I find myself living right now?
During this process, students access local historical societies and talk to family and neighbors about generational memories of the place. Some students highlight developments, such as industry and railroad access. Others brought names of indigenous tribes to our attention, as well as the plants and animals that have thrived in the past and either do or do not live now. Overwhelmingly, the students learn more about where they call home. In addition to acquiring knowledge of place, by pausing and giving attention to the land that supports our lives, the people who have come before, and the bounty that nourishes us, we all grow in our appreciation and gratitude for home.
It has been said that to love a place and show true care for it, one must spend time, look with earnestness for the hidden treasures to be revealed, and then we can fully celebrate our home. Indigenous wisdom embodies connection and relationship, and for that reason, we like to include the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Greeting, which we read aloud in turns during Council before Thanksgiving. •
Amy Kremer-Treibly, M.A. earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology at Loyola University where she also enjoyed studying Spanish during a study abroad term in Quito, Ecuador, and learning about world religions as her minor. She began her teaching career in a refugee resettlement program teaching ESL to adult students from around the world followed by teaching Spanish at the elementary level. While teaching at a Great Books Foundation high school in Arizona, she earned her Master’s Degree in Experiential Education at Prescott College with a focus on building schools and learning experiences to promote engagement, eco-literacy, and stewardship.
Elizabeth Hale teaches Humanities and other courses with NewGate School’s Global campus. She spent the last 13 years developing Heartmoor Farm Education Centre in central Virginia teaching Literature, Humanities, and Mindfulness to adolescents while nurturing her connection with the natural world specifically through contemplative practices, the stewardship of plants, and formal study of Western Herbalism. With 24 years of teaching experience, in classroom environments from Oregon and Ohio to Virginia, she has worked with families through all stages of their children’s development.
There are some things that even money can’t buy, and one of the most valuable contributions that families make to a school is the gift of their time and expertise. Parents, grandparents, and friends of the school are often found helping in the office, assisting in the classrooms, serving as field-trip drivers, offering a special class, planning the next special event, coaching, or serving on parents’ associations or school committees.
Parents play a crucial role in Montessori. Our schools are communities of parents and educators (many of whom will also have children enrolled at the school). Our ideas and input often help to shape the school. Montessori schools are normally very responsive to suggestions and concerns.
Most Montessori schools encourage families to participate in the broader life of the school through social and educational activities. Although many parents spend considerable amounts of time as volunteers, except for parent cooperative schools, there is normally no expectation for a set-time commitment.
Parents and grandparents, who give of their time and talent, share with their children special memories of experiences and friendships that endure well beyond their graduation.
A few ways in which you might be able to help your school:
• Volunteer a few hours a week to help in the office
• Lend your time and support to our fundraising efforts
• Help out in the library
• Volunteer to be an Ambassador Family to parents new to the school
• Serve on one of the school’s committees
• Help put together the school newsletter
• Help the teachers organize field trips or special lessons
• Join in at open houses to meet prospective families
• Help organize special events
• Volunteer your time to help the school prepare major mailings
• Teach a special course
• Help students work in the garden
• Share your talents and special interests, such as a musical instrument that you play, a second language that you speak, a craft that you enjoy, or a field that you’ve studied
• Volunteer your time to coach a team or after-school club
• Serve as a class parent
• Help to organize a reunion for former students and their families
Like all schools, Montessori schools blossom when parents are generous with the gift of time, talent, and expertise.
We, as parents, love to see our children become independent and self-sufficient as they grow and age. But sometimes, we may need help to get them to that point. We can do so by implementing the Montessori Method into their lives. Montessori emphasizes teaching children to be self-regulating and to be able to learn the concepts of independence. It is a great tool to help your children be more confident in their abilities. Indeed, independence is the best gift we can give to our children, as it enables them to be self-sufficient and know how to take care of themselves.
Today, we live in a time when there is a lot of pressure on children at home, school, or work. The idea behind the Montessori Method is to teach children that being themselves will give them the ability to succeed in life. Children need to feel confident, capable and become more independent so that they can defend their ideas, thoughts, and feelings against pressure from others. But the question now is how this Method helps children become independent. Well, that’s what you are going to learn in this article. But first, let’s understand what the Montessori Method is.
WHAT IS THE MONTESSORI METHOD?
It is an educational method that Maria Montessori developed. It has been implemented globally and has helped children develop learning skills for independence, self-regulating, and creativity. The Montessori Method uses a hands-on approach, where children learn through experiences to find their way of learning.
THE MONTESSORI METHOD WILL HAVE THE CHILDREN LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO KEEP LEARNING, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PERFECT IN EVERYTHING.
How can the Montessori Method help your child to be independent?
The Montessori Method is designed to be flexible and adaptable to meet each child’s needs. It allows children to be exposed to different learning environments and solve problems by themselves. The Montessori Method emphasizes making lessons fun-filled and interesting to capture the child’s attention and develop their thinking skills.
Here are four ways that Montessori helps your child become independent:
ONE
The Montessori Method encourages children to become more independent, through a stress-free environment.
The Montessori Method is a great tool to help children become independent by giving them a stress-free environment. It helps children become less dependent, because they need not rely on parents or teachers for help. It teaches kids how to solve problems by themselves.
For example, when you are doing your work, it is certainly stressful to stop your work and ask for help from another person if you do not know how to do something. The Montessori Method teaches us that we must not stop what we are doing until we have finished it. It is an excellent tool to teach children how to do their work without disruptions, but to only stop if necessary. It teaches children that they only need to pause when they are stuck on something or need help.
TWO
The Montessori Method encourages children to learn how to solve problems.
Learning how to deal with problems is one of children’s most rewarding experiences. The Montessori Method gives children opportunities to learn on a broad scope of different topics to develop their problem-solving skills; they will not need to rely on others for help.
For instance, if a child is trying to understand how to use a slow cooker, he is expected to figure it out by himself. Even if you want to teach him how to use it, the child must remember what you taught him. The Montessori Method allows children to take an active role in their education and figure out most problems on their own. It seems easy at first, but doing this will develop their problem-solving skills and increase their independence.
THREE
The Montessori Method helps children become more respectful of their ability.
The Montessori Method positively impacts children’s self-confidence and self-esteem, because it helps them appreciate what they are accomplishing. It helps them become better learners by giving them more confidence in their learning ability. The Montessori Method is a great tool to encourage children to learn more about what they have and who they are.
For example, if a child is having trouble learning how to play the violin, it may affect her self-worth and self-esteem. Children may think that they cannot learn or do not have what it takes to become good violinists, so they give up. But the Montessori Method will have the children learn from their mistakes and encourage them to keep learning, because they are not perfect in everything. As a result, this will teach them how to accept their capability for learning new things.
FOUR
The Montessori Method helps children to be independent by reinforcing self-confidence.
The Montessori Method helps children become more confident by giving them opportunities to learn new things and feel proud about themselves when they accomplish something great. This Method gives children the opportunity to learn new things and achieve something great by themselves. Therefore, they are more confident in believing that they are independent, because they know how to solve their problems without depending on other people’s help.
For example, let’s imagine that your children decide to ride a unicycle for the first time.
They are not ready yet, but they still want to try. By doing this, they will understand that even though it is not easy, there is a way that they can overcome challenges with riding a unicycle and challenges in life. This develops self-confidence. As they learn how to approach new challenges, they will be able to do more and more for themselves.
HOW CAN PARENTS HELP ENCOURAGE CHILDREN’S INDEPENDENCE AT HOME?
We should encourage our children to be increasingly independent right from the start, but they need guidance and coaching. They need to learn the basics: proper hygiene and the daily habits of independent living when they are older. Help them learn to do things carefully with confidence.
Though more children today can be considered self-sufficient, learning through experiences and making mistakes will help them develop a sense of responsibility and become more self-reliant later in life. Even with care, mistakes happen. Let’s help them to learn from their mistakes with patience and calm.
If we allow our children to do tasks independently, we will witness steady growth in their capability.
For example, let children:
• Place foods on their plate: You can give them advice, but let children learn how to pick up and put things onto their plates.
• Wash their hands: You can talk with them about the importance of washing hands, but let them learn how to scrub, wash, and rinse themselves.
• Brush their teeth: This is another task you can do with your child but let them do it alone after you’ve given instructions on how to brush, what part of the mouth to use the toothbrush, and when to spit out afterward.
• Pick out clothes they want to wear: In case you don’t have enough time to lend a hand in picking, let your children select the clothes they wish to wear, once they have learned the basics of choosing outfits on their own, using simple instructions from you, such as, “Choose a shirt that has long sleeves.”
• Choose their toys: Let your children choose the toys they want to play with, but make sure you don’t allow them to play with dangerous items like knives or scissors.
These simple steps will help your child feel comfortable when they start to face challenges on their own and help them understand the importance of independent living.
Final Thoughts
Children develop their independence in different ways as they grow and learn about the world. The Montessori Method is an effective way for children to learn how to be independent with their own decisions and find new ways of solving their problems on their own. The Montessori Method is the best way for children to develop skills that will help them cope with anything they encounter. •
Andrea Gibbs was born, raised, and still lives in New York. She is a work-at-home mom with a background in business development, strategy, and social media marketing. She contributes to a blog at the Montessori Academy to motivate and educate other parents about how they can get their children ahead of the game in school. montessori-academy.com/why-the-montessori-method-works
