Montessori isn’t just for the classroom. You can easily bring its principles into your home. Encouraging order, independence, and self-motivation is fundamental to the Montessori approach. A carefully designed home environment allows children to develop competence in caring for themselves and their surroundings. Having a place for everything, on a child-friendly scale, means that children know where to find what they need, and have a place to put things when they’re done.
So, how can you begin to incorporate Montessori at home?
Ages 0-2:
At this stage, children are developing their fine motor skills, so toys that promote hand-eye coordination and dexterity are ideal. They are also learning about cause and effect, so toys that allow them to experiment and discover how things work are also beneficial. Sensory balls, object boxes, shape sorters, colorful blocks, push-and-pull toys and walking toys, all are designed to promote cognitive, physical, and emotional development while also being fun and engaging for children.
Ages 2-6:
At this stage, children are rapidly developing, both physically and cognitively. They are learning to communicate more effectively, developing their social skills, and exploring their environment in new and exciting ways. One of the key principles is the use of hands-on learning materials. Sensorial Exploration, Practical Life Skills, Language and Literacy Activities, Math, and Geography are designed to be self-correcting, so the child can learn through trial and error, without the need for constant intervention from their caregivers.
Ages 6+:
At this stage, children transition from concrete to abstract thinking. The Montessori curriculum for children ages 6-9 is designed to be interdisciplinary. Children learn about different subjects through a variety of activities and projects. In addition to Core Subjects, Cultural Subjects are equally as important. Cultural Studies, Science and Social Studies Research Projects, Cooking, Cleaning, and Community Outreach are introduced at this plane of development.
