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A key takeaway of the Montessori Method is building students from the bottom up. From Day One of the toddler program to graduation from elementary school, Dr. Maria Montessori’s systematic, methodical approach is focused on individualized learning that creates gifted students.
Are you wondering how to help your children become stronger and build a love for a lifetime of learning?
- Set the tone for independence now
- Establish and maintain routines
- Create organization
- Let kids be responsible for their actions
- Work as a parent and student team
Let's expand on each of these steps:
Setting the Tone
Simply by investing in your child’s private school education, we know how much you value learning. Now, let’s bring what we teach in school back home!
Montessori education shouldn’t end when you pop your child in the back seat and tell him or her to put their seat belt on. Hey, now it’s your turn!
Ask them questions: what did you learn today or who is in your class?
Take them to the supermarket with you and give them a task to pick a head of lettuce or a vegetable for dinner. Then, show them how they can help you when you get home by cleaning and preparing it with you.
Give your child control over an aspect of the meal. Maybe set the table or help with the cleanup afterwards. Let your child know that you value their input and help. That’s what we do at school
Establishing and Maintain Routines
As parents, we need to ensure a daily management clock. We get up, we get dressed, we eat, we get in the car, we drive to and from school, we have activities, we complete homework, we eat again, we enjoy leisure time, we prep for tomorrow and we go to bed.
Repeat for five consecutive days
Our children need 10 hours of sleep—minimum—each day. So, to ensure they do not lose focus, get hyper, or irritabe ble, we must stick to a schedule. Set daily times with your child and follow them. In this way, continuous learning is what drives your child forward—routine works.
Creating Organization
Prepare specific areas in your home for their backpacks, books, and clothes. Teach your child that getting prepared for tomorrow—tonight—allows things to run smoother the next morning.
Letting Kids Be Responsible for Their Actions
It’s not your job to drive back to the school with forgotten items. Rather, it’s your child’s responsibility so the best thing you can do for them is to talk with them about trying their best to remember to pack things up in their bag before leaving school.
Let’s build independent and responsible students. Learning from mistakes is a critical component in your child’s development. So, let them fail and experience the consequences of their errors. It’s okay!
Montessori wants students to do their work and be accountable for every part of their lives. In this way, we teach children that they can produce the outcomes they want. Remember: every winner was once a beginner.
Working as a Team
Parents and teachers are a team in the same way that students, parents, and teachers are. We have your children in our care every weekday and see them in action and interaction for a thousand hours a year!
So, if there are concerns, let’s talk about them!
In this way—together—we’ll succeed in teaching your most precious loved one how to master their world through behavior and learning.
As we draw to the close of another school day, let’s reflect on what we learned and prepare for what we will learn. That’s parenting—and teaching—with steadfast purpose.
This article was compiled from many sources, including the writings of K12 tutor Nina Parrish.
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