"Montessori at Home"
Dr. Montessori wrote that “The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.”
Our first Family Night focused on “Montessori at Home”. We discussed ways to set up your home to facilitate your children’s independence and curiosity. There are many activities you can tackle as a family to model skills and support growth.
Great opportunities in practical life abound at home with cooking, gardening, and home projects. Be sure to teach your children the proper names for utensils and tools. Businesses like Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Michaels offer classes on the weekend for your children (building and art projects, cake decorating, etc.).
When you start chores, be sure to work side by side to demonstrate skills and share quality time. As they gain competency (remember patience so they can build skills at their own rate), include them as part of the family expectations (like setting or clearing the table). Children gain a sense of accomplishment and confidence as they contribute to the household. If you consider 150 years ago, everyone in the family needed to participate for survival. Pioneer children started young, gathering eggs and wood chips and fetching water. Check the links below for ideas on age-appropriate chores. Consider that by providing these life skills, your child won’t need an “adulting” class after college.
Be sure to encourage curiosity as you travel, comparing what is similar to home and different. Take time to wonder and be inspired by nature. Ranger talks at state and national parks, presentations at the libraries, and other local events give you a chance to build their knowledge base and provide real experiences (not just virtual). Also, seek out opportunities to volunteer as a family. Start family hobbies, like geocaching, birdwatching, spelunking, or stargazing. Be sure to practice skills such as reading subway schedules and maps (yes, turn off Google maps in the car).
Supporting academic growth does not always need to be homework activities. There are many ways to build a strong foundation. Visiting the library often and reading daily cultivates a love of language and stories. Share writing opportunities by keeping a family journal or scrapbook and sending postcards and thank you notes.
With math, it’s hard to duplicate opportunities from school. It’s recommended to focus on materials that are accessible at home, such as geometry, money, time, and measurement. Geometry involves identifying shapes around the house, in nature, and in art. Save up a jar of change so your children can sort the coins and start to identify them. Add challenge as they’re ready. Be sure to have them spend their own allowance to gain an understanding of money. Time can start as an oral understanding, noticing the time of day by the sun’s rhythms (sunrise/ sunset) and building routines. Measurement can be used in cooking and with projects. Estimating distances can start with body lengths (How many steps…?).
Learn to use open-ended questions to build critical thinking skills. When examining art, a photograph, or something unknown, ask your child, “What do you notice?” and “What made you think that (what clues)?”. With STEAM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Art-Mathematics or add an “R” for Religion- STREAM), add questions on how to repurpose items and how to plan that. Question the historical accuracy or discuss your values in response to character decisions during family movie night.
Start with one new idea tomorrow and implement what makes sense for your family.
Enjoy raising your children in a Montessori way!
A few websites that provide Montessori-inspired toys:
- Fisher Price Line of Montessori toys https://www.amazon.com/stores/Fisher-Price/page/8B4C9EA4-ED77-4C85-B048-112A84925709
- https://www.forsmallhands.com/
- https://lovevery.com/
Some books you may be interested in:
- The Montessori Baby and The Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies
- Montessori from the Start by Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen
- Science Behind the Genius by Angeline Stoll Lillard
- Montessori Madness by Trevor Eissler
Some websites with academic connections:
- https://bedtimemath.org/
- If you have a 4th grader in the family, get a free family pass to the National parks https://www.nps.gov/kids/every-kid-outdoors.htm
- https://miactivitypass.org/
- https://storytimechess.com/
- https://montessori.tools/
- https://montessoritools.org/
Some websites shared on our Facebook page to inspire you with this topic: