The Montessori Method of learning is scientifically proven to be a more effective education method than typical public school education. Here is how you can incorporate Montessori principles into your home for the benefit of your child!
If you are one of the thousands of families who have turned to the Montessori method of education, congratulations! You have set your child on the path to success in their education, career, and lifelong happiness.
However, the Montessori principles do not need to end at the door to the classroom. There are many effective ways you can implement Montessori principles into your home for an even deeper Montessori experience. Here are four of our favourite ways!
Experience One of the Best Montessori Preschool Experiences NW Calgary Has To Offer
At Grey Matter Montessori, a Preschool located in the NW Calgary community of Evanston, our Montessori team understands that choosing the right school for your child is one of the most critical decisions you’ll ever make. That’s why we are dedicated to providing the best Montessori preschool experience for all of our students. Our highly qualified, trained Montessori teachers strive to foster creativity, independence, practical skills, and a lifelong love for learning.
Interested in learning more about Grey Matter Montessori and how we set up your child for success? Contact our team today!
Montessori Principles
The Montessori method is a scientifically-backed educational method developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian educator. Lots of parents may have heard about the Montessori method, but they may not really understand what it is. In truth, the Montessori method encompasses many ideas, principles, materials, and techniques for guiding children’s learning programs, all of which can be boiled down to five subjects:
- Practical Life Skills
- Sensorial Development
- Mathematics
- Language
- Culture & Science
To boost these five subject methods, many Montessori educators recommend optimizing your home for the Montessori method. If you are looking for advice on how you can do this, you’ve come to the right place!
4 Ways You Can Incorporate Montessori Principles Into Your Home
1. Allow Children To Grow Their Life Skills
While in the classroom, students are encouraged to grow and develop their repertoire of life skills. So much so that, in fact, most genuine Montessori schools will have an area of the classroom that is entirely dedicated to learning life skills such as cooking, cleaning, emotional intelligence, and caring for the environment and surroundings.
To incorporate this into your home, try allowing your child some freedom in completing tasks around the house! While you shouldn’t expect your child, especially if they are young, to masterfully cook a meal or clean the bathroom with immense detail, you can provide them with completable tasks that foster independence and confidence. Try allowing your child to wash vegetables, stir the pot, wipe down the counters, or dust around the house. It may seem small to start, but as your children grow, you can slowly add in more complex tasks over time.
2. Keep It Organized
Organization and cleanliness is an essential method of teaching children to be responsible for their belongings, their impact, and their mistakes. While we all want to keep a neat and tidy home for aesthetics and useability, there is also an incredible benefit to be had for the development of our younglings. In an organized environment, children are more likely to be focused, relaxed, and motivated.
Additionally, it isn’t just about keeping things organized for you, but Montessori teachings recommend organizing the environment for your children. What we mean by this is that tools, furniture, shelving, decorations, and just about everything else in their designated space should be designed and sized for children. Having things specifically designed for them has shown to foster independence, individuality, and self-confidence. While it may seem a little odd and slightly strange, the science backs it up; this approach does wonders for encouraging creativity and exploration.
3. Ditch the Reward-Based Method of Motivation
A common way that parents get their children to do certain things is through reward-based incentives. While this can definitely be an effective method in a pinch, it does not foster healthy habits. We want our children to be intrinsically motivated by feelings of pleasure, pride, and accomplishment, rather than externally motivated by things such as sweets, stickers, or other rewards.
While verbal praise and the odd motivating factors will not do any wrong, excess amounts of external incentives can lead to children depending on these to motivate them to complete nearly any task they don’t want to. Intrinsic motivation is much more effective in the long term at leading to healthy, successful, and rewarding lives and careers.
4. Minimize Distractions To Boost Concentration
The common idea that many parents have of children not being able to concentrate is only half true. As technology has progressed, so too have the availability and addictivity of distractions to our children. As the most digitally-verse generation, it makes sense that children are the most prone demographic to these distractions, and therefore lowered concentration.
The best way to boost concentration is to minimize the distractions that can negatively impact concentration levels. While it may be challenging at first to put limits on their potential distractions, over time, with diligence, your children will learn a sense of respect for themselves and greater responsibility for the tasks that they need to focus on.
Related Reading
How To Keep Your Home Peaceful While In Lockdown
6 Core Characteristics of a Montessori Education
Grey Matter Montessori Is Founded On Montessori Guiding Principles
At our NW Calgary Preschool, we have designed and cultivated our educators and classrooms to provide the best Montessori experience in the NW community of Evanston. If you are looking for a Calgary preschool that will set your child up for success in their career, relationships, and happiness, Grey Matter Montessori is an excellent choice.
To learn more about our preschool program, or to schedule a tour with one of our Montessori team members, call us at 587-707-4739 or fill in our contact form below.
FAQ’s
What age(s) is Montessori for?
A Montessori education program is best suited for children aged 2-6 years old. However, there are also programs available for children from as young as newborns up to high school.
How can I help my child learn with Montessori principles at home?
When your child is out at our NW Calgary Montessori Preschool, they are taught using the Montessori method. However, whether your child has some work at home to do or they are completing online learning due to the ongoing pandemic, you may sometimes be needed to jump in to help with their learning. Check out our article on Eight Ways You Can Be Involved In Your Child’s Education At-Home.
Does the Montessori method really work?
When compared to students enrolled in traditional schools, many studies have shown that Montessori-educated students exhibit higher levels of reading comprehension, mathematics, literacy, language, and practical life skills.
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