Classical Montessori @ Home
“Free the child’s potential, and you will transform him into the world.” – Dr. Maria Montessori
One of the best things a parent can do to enhance their child’s Montessori education is to continue it in practice and theory at home. Cultivating creativity, independence, and problem-solving skills can be seamlessly integrated into your home activities… Montessori style.
Allowing your child the opportunity to participate in household tasks gives them a sense of responsibility and independence. Setting out mastery activities helps them become self-reliant and learn new skills. With whichever activity you choose, always be watching and help only where needed – much like a teacher would.
Around the house:
Getting dressed for the day. Let them pick out their outfit from clothing items that are appropriate to the weather and suitable to the occasion. Try this on the weekend to start, allowing them time to get fully dressed, and only helping where you are needed. You may want to cordon off unseasonable clothing, or even leave the thermostat off to make the house cold enough to encourage warm choices in the winter!
Help with lunch. Set out the utensils and supplies that they will need to be able to prepare lunch for themselves. It can be as easy as setting out bread with spreads to make a sandwich. Let them clean up once they are finished. At dinner time, ask them to set the table with “just as many” plates as there are people home for dinner.
Cleaning up. This can be interpreted in many different ways. Being specific helps: “pick up the stuffed animals” is better than “clean your room”. Or it can be as small as putting a plate into the dishwasher.
Montessori Prepared Works Tips:
Have your child’s toys sorted by type and set out on shelves he or she can reach.
Use baskets or trays to contain separate activities. A dedicated container makes choosing what to play with easier (versus toy boxes where everything is together).
To build an at-home Montessori center, check out Montessori Now , which has several good options for setting up a Montessori center depending on your child’s age. You probably have most of the materials for all kinds of activities at home.
Incorporating Montessori practices can be as easy as asking your children to sort the socks on their own. Have your child participate in household activities and see how they blossom in unexpected ways. They just might inspire you to incorporate Montessori practices in your daily activities too!