Keep a Montessori Frame Of Mind All Summer Long

The old adage goes: No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher’s dirty looks! It is an out-dated chant, but the truth is that summer is here and children are transitioning away from a structured learning environment into stretched-out days of hot weather and free time. Many parents worry about summer learning loss, the loss of skills and knowledge gained over the course of the school year, and struggle to ensure their children are prepared for September. Remember that summer doesn’t have to be a vacation from learning, but rather an opportunity to explore new environments, channel your child’s natural curiosity, and develop new skills that will serve them in the new school year. Here are some ways to keep a Montessori mindset throughout the summer months.

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Follow These Three Montessori Values This Summer

Create Opportunities To Learn
Some of the key ideas in a Montessori education are:

Preparing the environment to suit individual children’s needs.
Using hands-on learning materials.

For parents, this means providing activities and resources that will interest your child and encourage thoughtful, inspired play wherever possible. Learning can happen anywhere. Some suggestions:

Create An Art Kit: Fill a box or bin with coloured paper, yarn, popsicle sticks, scissors and glue, buttons, stickers, and more. Encourage your child to explore the box and create art that tells a story. Take the kit outside and see if your child can find different inspiration or scavenge for natural materials like leaves and flowers to incorporate into their project.
Make A Travel Pack: Pack a tote of colouring books, flashcards, travel games, and small toys that is exclusively for use in the car. Play license plate bingo or I Spy to make road trips educational.
Follow Up: After a trip to the zoo, search out books or websites and learn more about the animals your saw. Plant a garden and research simple recipes you can make together when you harvest. Create a map from memory after a bike ride around your neighbourhood.

Continue Developing Personal Responsibility
The Montessori Method focuses on developing a child’s sense of personal responsibility and their responsibility to their family and community. During the school year, Montessori students are responsible for taking care of their classroom. Encourage your child to have ownership over their spaces and be respectful to others around them by:

Making Chores Expected And Fun: Create and maintain a chore routine throughout the summer. Have your child make their bed every day. Race to see if they can beat their best time. Put on music and do the Clean Up Dance while they tidy their toys after playtime. Dust the living room every Tuesday and put a sticker on the calendar to show it was done. This routine and this clear expectation provide security and comfort while reinforcing responsible behaviour.
Sharing The Joy Of Contributing: Allow your child to pick veggies from the garden, then work together to make a delicious salad for the family for dinner. Colour a beautiful chalk mural for neighbours to enjoy. Your child will feel proud of their contribution.
Volunteering This Summer: Brainstorm with your child about things they might be able to do with their extra time this summer to help their community. This might mean taking groceries to an elderly neighbour, sorting through their toys to donate, or delivering old towels to the local animal shelter. Your child’s self-esteem will grow every time they are able to help others in their community.

Let Your Child Lead
Child-led learning is a foundational concept in a Montessori classroom. It can be tempting to schedule every moment of the summer months in an effort to stay organized, keep your child busy, and avoid summer boredom. But try to schedule some “unscheduled” days as well. Let your child take the lead. Ask them what they would like to do today. Play with them on their terms. Pack a snack and wander the neighbourhood, letting your child decide where to go and where to stop. Give them a few choices - library, zoo, museum, or beach - and let your child design their perfect summer day.

Summer The Montessori Way

Avoid summer learning loss and keep your child engaged this summer with these simple ways to incorporate the Montessori Method. But also keep in mind that children are naturally inquisitive, curious, and motivated to explore. Sometimes the most inspirational moments of learning and development will happen when you just take a deep breath and are present in a beautiful summer moment with your preschooler. Enjoy this summer with your little one, relish every childish moment. These summer days may seem long, but they will be over in the blink of an eye!

If you are interested in exploring the benefits of a Grey Matter Montessori education for your preschool or pre-kindergarten aged child, contact us to book a time for a school tour at our NW Calgary location. We are accessible just off of Symons Valley Parkway in the NW community of Evanston. Call us for more info on our early child education programming at 1-587-707-4739.

FAQ

Q: Does Grey Matter offer any summer programming for preschoolers?
A: For the summer of 2022 Grey Matter Montessori is focussing on Brain Building and enjoying the outdoors. We are offering two camps for students aged 3-6.

Explorar Mexico!
This summer camp is full Spanish immersion and will give students the opportunity to paint, cook, and explore the outdoors while learning the culture, language, and history of Spanish-speaking countries.

Math And Chess Camp
This summer camp encourages your child to learn to love math and to explore the magic of the game of chess. With hands-on opportunities to learn and a giant-size chessboard, this camp is challenging and fun.

Learn more about Grey Matter Montessori summer camps here.

Q: Is there a checklist of things my child must know before attending preschool?
A: At Grey Matter Montessori in Calgary, we value the differences that make each child unique. If your child is aged 3-6 they may be ready to begin to explore learning and we are ready to facilitate it. Learn more about exploring your child’s readiness for preschool here.

Q: When do you accept registration?
A: Grey Matter Montessori has ongoing registration and even offers advanced registrations (up to two years). Contact our office for more information on the upcoming school year and register as early as possible to ensure availability for your desired days and times.