If your child is enrolled in a Montessori school, you’re likely looking for ways to support their Montessori education at home. Here are five easy ways you can help reinforce what they’re learning in school and help them grow.
Support Montessori at home but helping them be independent
In a Montessori classroom, the works the children can choose from are all displayed on shelves and tables they can reach. This gives them the independence to choose what they want to work on.
You can do this at home by having their toys, books, and activities out at eye level so they can see what they have to choose from and make a choice without asking for help. This makes them feel proud when they can do something independently. It also encourages them to start finding things they want to do and playing or learning independently.
Give them safe options
Giving children too many options can overwhelm them but giving them a choice between two or three excellent options can help them learn how to make decisions which is very important for later in life. For example, set out two shirts and ask which one they’d like to wear to school rather than sending them into their closet to choose from everything they own. It’s easier for them to decide when it doesn’t feel like there are too many things to choose from or there’s a good and a wrong choice.
Have them help around the home
Even very young children can have chores and help around the home. In the Montessori Toddler program, children as young as two help care for their classroom environment. You can help them sort laundry or carry a few pieces to their room at home. You can have them take their plate to the sink or load it in the dishwasher. Young children can help sweep or mop or even dust. See what your child is interested in and go from there. Letting them be involved in caring for the home environment helps them feel connected and big enough to help.
Reduce screen time and encourage open-ended playtime
You won’t find screens in a Montessori preschool classroom. Our children spend their days working with their hands, moving around, and playing, but they don’t use learning apps or watch TV. At home, a bit of TV is okay, but limit the screen time they get. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of screen time per day for young children. Set a schedule that works for you and have other activities and toys they can play with instead of watching a show.
Find ways to say yes when it’s possible
We try hard not to say no in Montessori schools. We try to reframe things or find an alternative that is a yes. This helps children feel less frustrated and more connected. You can do this at home by considering what your child is requesting and seeing if there’s a way you can make part of it work or offering an alternative solution that does work for you and giving that to your child as an option. We know you can’t find a yes in every situation but challenge yourself to find them where possible, and you may find your child is easier to get along with at home too.
There are many ways you can support Montessori at home. Start with these five. If you’re interested in Montessori, but your child isn’t enrolled in a Montessori school yet, and they are between 18 months and pre-kindergarten, and you’re in the Spring, TX area, we invite you to contact us today to learn more about Klein-Spring Montessori. We’d love to help you introduce your child to Montessori learning.
