WHY MONTESSORI?
A Little Background on 'Montessori'
The 'Montessori Method' was created by Dr. Maria Montessori over 100 years ago and it's a philosophy that's based on her extensive scientific observations and research on child development. It was revolutionary because rather than treating children as to be "seen and not heard," Dr. Montessori saw the child more holistically and believed that children are naturally driven to learn - especially given the right environment.
Why Use Montessori at Home?
"Help me to do it myself"
Your home is the centre of your child's universe. So it's the perfect place for them to grow and learn.
Children, especially young toddlers, have a strong, innate desire to be helpful and be a contributing member of the household. It's why they often show more interest in the mundane chores that we do instead of the new flashy toy they got from Grandma. Children prefer work to play - a surprising discovery from Maria Montessori's early observations that has become a fundamental truth for the Montessori Method.
So, instead of trying to make a child play on their own in a play area or room, we involve the child in 'Practical Life' activities such as cleaning, cooking, dressing themselves. But in doing all this, it's not just about teaching them the basic skills of self care or care of the environment.
What's interesting is that these tasks build self-esteem, independence, confidence, problem-solving skills, self-sufficiency and an understanding of "completing a work cycle" (i.e.. seeing a task to its end) . These are qualities that not only help in the family home but will become applicable to the rest of their lives.
So, here's the breakdown of 7 reasons why you may want to consider doing some or all of Montessori in your own home:
- Builds self-esteem, confidence and independence
- Starts forming good habits
- Helps develop fine and gross motor skills
- Develops their sense of responsibility
- Understands that there is a purpose behind a task
- Respect: we allow them freedom to move, make mistakes and choose
- Fulfills their deep inner desire to be a part of their environment or family
Oh, and another reason:
8. Frees up your time: you won't have to do every single thing for your little one all. of. the. time!