Tag: children

supporting montessori at home

~ keystomontessori ~ Leave a comment

A common question among “Montessori parents”, is how they can best support their children’s education at home. While the scope of this question can fill books (just click on links at the end of this article), there are a few general outlines that any parent can follow at home. As a parent and teacher, I’ve always found that good parenting and good teaching constantly overlap. Common sense rules at home and in the classroom. A strong component of any Montessori classroom is the support it gives towards a child’s independence. From a Toddler putting on their shoes, a Primary child making snack, an Elementary child checking their own math problems, to a Junior student running their own business, our classrooms encourage the child’s efforts towards autonomy. There are several ways of introducing this element at home. To support a child dressing themselves, easily accessed crates (one for socks, one for shirts, etc….) allows the child to choose their own outfit. While you may cringe at some of the combinations they come up with, the lesson is well worth it. Similar efforts can be made to allow the child to get their own snack, make their own lunch, or choose want they want for breakfast (for instance, pictures of pancakes, cereal, etc… can be put in envelopes marked by day).

The Practical Life shelves in a 3-6 classroom hold buttoning and zippering frames, pouring and pincer grip activities, and food preparation. The tools used are child-sized, but not toys, and allow the child to do the same types of work they see their parents or older siblings perform. For the home, similar tools can be purchased or adapted (for instance, sawing off some of the handle end of a rake). And finally, employing an element of choice in your parenting will dovetail nicely with their work at school. While the child relies on you to set the parameters for their behavior and safety, giving the child freedom within structure is an excellent vehicle for development.

As enrollment in Montessori schools has risen, so has the veritable cottage industry that supports Montessori in the home. The following are links to several books that may help further your interest:

”Montessori from the start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three” by Paula Polk Lilliard

“Teach Me to Do It Myself: Montessori Activities for You and Your Child” by Mija Pitamic

“How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way” by Tim Seldin

“Teaching Montessori in the Home” by Elizabeth Hainstock

the spilled water lesson(s)

~ keystomontessori ~ Leave a comment

Maria Montessori said, “Never help a child with a task in which he feels he can be successful.”  This means that a child who is learning something new should be given the freedom to try to succeed.  If we as the adults rush in to “save the child”, the child will not learn.  Children learn through their activity, through their effort, and, very importantly, through their mistakes!  

Let us consider a child in our classroom.  He approaches the practical life area and sees a tray containing a small pitcher of water and a glass; it is a pouring work to practice control of movement.  He chooses to bring it to a table where a friend awaits.  The teacher is observing closely.  Perhaps this child has been shy about trying new things and here he is, ready to take on this challenge.  He has been given a lesson in carrying a tray with water and cup.  One must be very careful when lifting the tray, to turn slowly, and place each foot slowly, one in front of the other, as you move across the room, keeping one’s eye on the tray to keep it level.  He takes one step, two steps, he hears a bird call and his attention is drawn away from the tray.  The pitcher begins to slide…..!

The teacher is still watching.  They consider to themselves, “What is the best thing that could happen right now?” “What is the worst?”  We may think that the best thing to happen would be for the child to successfully walk across the room and gently place the tray and pitcher on the table.  How proud he will be!!  He did it!  And this would be wonderful, no doubt.  But let us consider the opposite outcome.  The tray tilts, the pitcher slides, the water, pitcher and cup all spill to the ground.  What does the teacher do?  The child is upset and so the teacher comes to his side and comforts him, yes, but very quickly asks him what he needs in order to clean the spill (a rag, they are kept by the sink), how to sweep up any pieces of pitcher or cup (a broom and dustpan hangs on the wall), how to wring the wet rag out (a bucket is under the sink), and how to tell his friends and classmates to be careful of the spot until it dries.

What are the lessons learned here?

  1. My teacher loves me.  They do not yell or scold me if I make a mistake. If I make a mistake in my math or reading, they will not be angry.  I have learned that it is a good thing to try things that are difficult. I will learn more if I take risks, try difficult math problems, sound out difficult reading words.
  2. When I make a mistake, there is a way that I can make it better. I have learned that math problems can be corrected, words can be erased and spelled correctly.  If I hurt a friend’s feelings, there is a way to make it up.  My actions have consequences, and I must deal with them, but I can try to correct my mistakes.
  3. This is how a spill is cleaned, I know where the tools are and how to use them.  I have learned that I can be independent. I can take care of things on my own.  I don’t realize that the movement of my arm in wiping the spill, and the fine motor control I exercised in wringing the water out will help me later when I learn to hold a paintbrush and pencil and learn to draw and write.
  4. The whole class has learned a lesson!  All eyes are on the teacher if the water spills, to see how they will react.  There is no scolding, no impatience, no anger.  Only calm and peace.  The rest of the children learn that this is a safe place.  Engage, try, fail, try again, succeed!