Ams Montessori Quotes

My experiences as a Montessori teacher have led me to realize that our goal as educators is not to impart facts to children as though they were empty vessels to be filled, but to open their eyes so they can exclaim joyfully, "Wow, look at what I am becoming! I've got to know more!" (from Walking in Wonder)

Montessori school ruined me for normal school and life in general. It made me only want to do things I care about or am curious about.

Re-reading these journal entries almost two decades after writing them has had a humbling effect on me. I am in awe of the children’s learning and the resilience, courage, and intuition with which they direct their

A Montessori home has space for mistakes, it offers peaceful and quiet time to observe, explore, make independent choices and support when needed.

Essentials:   Child-size table Child-sized chairs, one for each of your children and at least one or two more for guests A low bookcase or cubicle. Your child should be able to easily see and reach anything on top of this piece of furniture. IKEA is a fantastic place to pick up things like this! Age appropriate items for chosen Montessori activities. A more detailed list of activities and supplies will be provided later in the book. Several rubber storage containers or other storage devices. These do not need to remain in your schooling area; in fact it is recommended that they be removed. You will want to give your child a limited choice of several activities in their workspace, and have the supplies accessible to them. You will likely have many activities that you want to try or a supply of materials that do not fit the current activity choices. Since too many choices and too much clutter will over-stimulate the young mind, you will want a place to store your materials until they are ready to be rotated into use.   Helpful Items:   Extra bins, baskets and trays. Colorful, realistic, stimulating decorations for the area. A work rug.

Habits such as order and consistency in presentations aid our children to better master their aptitude and accuracy. Daily, one must remember to observe and respect our children by not interrupting their concentration. Encouraging our children’s contribution to the life of the family or other social groups is also suggested (cleaning, table setting, pet care, etc.).

For a child as young as 2 or 3 years of age, plan on no more than one to two hours of scheduled educational activities. This does not prohibit you and your child from participating in more, it simply acknowledges the limits of children that young. An older child of 5 or 6 years of age will likely be able to handle up to four hours of activity time. Remember also that since you are doing Montessori at home, that learning and growth activities will be a part of your day well past scheduled instructional time. Your daily schedule should also include regular daily activities such as self-care and clean up.

Young children have short attention spans and will require frequent breaks and changes in activities. Do not plan for one or two activities to take up several hours. A good rule is to plan on thirty to forty-five minutes per activity depending on the age of the child. A two year-old will likely require your assistance in helping them focus for any length of time, while a six year-old will be able to work independently for that same amount of time. Break up activities with shorter periods of about ten to fifteen minutes of story or circle time. Circle time is a concept used in many Montessori classrooms and it can be effectively used in a home school environment, even with only one child. Have a designated circle, or space for your child to sit in between activities. This can be utilized as a way to center and focus the child before the next activity. Use this time to read a story or talk, either about what they just did or an entirely different subject. Remember that your daily routine should be one that honors both you and your child. This may take some time to figure out, and will likely require periods of adjustment as well as trial and error. Even once you feel that you have a solid routine in place, you will find that as your child grows and develops that your daily activities will need to be adjusted.

What is important to notice here is not the exact times or durations, as those will vary with each family, but rather the rhythm that is in place. There is a clear start to the day; a routine that is always followed, then educational time is started with circle time. The child understands that this first circle time marks the beginning of the instructional period. Clear breaks allow the child to transition from one activity to the next. By having a set number of activities before breaks such as snack time, your child begins to understand the concept of time. Eventually, this will become so second nature even to the youngest child that they will begin to transition by themselves. Allow for a range in flexibility in your routine. The exact minutes on the clock do not matter as much as the rhythm. If your child is losing interest in his or her self-directed activity ten minutes early, you may try to keep them interested a bit longer. However, it is acceptable to acknowledge that your child has gained all that they require from that lesson today and it is time to move on to the next phase. The same is true for extending activities. There is no need to interrupt a child that is engrossed in discovery. Simply let the interest and curiosity be satisfied in its own time and then carry on with the day. This is the beauty of Montessori home school, being able to tailor the experience to each child.

We like to create a prepared environment, but do not require participation at a specific time. We have a dedicated learning classroom and choose to spend a specific amount of time in the mornings each day. Lessons come from the interest of the children. We notice their curiosity and create lessons around those interests. It helps to keep 2-6 year olds interested because THEY choose when and what they will learn. Other times of the day are open play in a prepared home. We also keep busy by taking advantage of free community events like library story time

general supplies that you should always have on hand.   Pencils, pens, markers, chalk, etc. Art supplies such as paint, glue, beads, etc. Paper, paper and more paper of all kinds. Self-care and cleaning supplies, such as hand soap and paper towels. Trays or baking sheets. These will be used to as portable workstations for each activity. Place mats, or another type of work mat. Small scoops, tongs and tweezers. Cups or muffin trays to be used for sorting activities or keeping supplies separate.

Some items from your home that you might consider your child having access to include.   Cheese grater.  A good starting activity for a four or five year-old is grating bars of soap. Real scissors. Children’s safety scissors are often clumsy to handle and can be difficult to maneuver. Teaching a child to cut with pointed scissors allows them to more quickly master fine motor skills. Utensils for cutting soft fruit and a cutting board. Make sure they are not too sharp, but not so dull that they are ineffective. Always supervise your child. Pots and pans, dishes, etc. for pretend play. Cleaning supplies such as a gentle vinegar and water (50/50) cleaning solution, sponges, dish soap, towels, short broom, dust pan, etc. Plants for daily care. Coat hanging racks placed at shoulder level of the child allow them to not only take responsibility for their own outerwear but to offer to take care of others as well. Sturdy, non-skid step stool or a handy learning tower (the one in the picture actually folds for easy storage). Accessible linens, including those that can be used for play. Encourage your child to make their own bed, even if it might be a bit messy by your standards. Always keep a few towels and washcloths where they can reach them as needed. A big basket that holds a few blankets and pillows allows a child to take some responsibility for their own level of comfort.     This list is by no means all-inclusive, nor are you required to use what is on it. The point is to take a look around your home and think about ways to implement many of your own household items into your routine. It is also meant to point out that even the youngest of children are often ready for a bit more responsibility than we give them credit for.

Through practical life exercises, your child will gain confidence, self-sufficiency and the ability to properly interact with others in their world. The focus of practical life activities should be how to care for themselves and their environment, as well as safely maneuvering through it. Think along the lines of proper hand washing, dressing oneself, opening a door, carrying scissors, watering a plant, taking care of their workspace, etiquette, etc. We will later discuss a few specific activities for practical life, however you will be presented with countless opportunities throughout the day that require no planning, but rather a keen eye to acknowledge them as they occur.

The environment must be rich in motives, which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.” –Maria Montessori

Children at this age learn best by experiencing through their senses. Their attention spans are too short to sit through lengthy instruction. They have not yet developed the reasoning skills to benefit from lecture, and while their language skills are developing, they are nowhere near the point where they can learn entirely from printed instruction. This leaves the wide world of their senses. This is how we learn and adapt, as infants, and young children are still very much still tuned into these natural instincts.

I believe that in the Montessori environment children learn through using their 5 senses and working with their hands. It is important to supply children with materials that allow self-correction, develop fine motor skills, represent reality (e.g. book with realistic characters), and encourage diversity.

For most children, there is a pretty clear lineage of cognitive development. One thing naturally occurs before the other. Unfortunately, as parents we are often presented with timetables that tell us exactly when we should expect to see such development. While the tables certainly prove to be a useful tool in recognizing developmental delays, it is important to recognize your child as an individual. Not every child will fit perfectly into a time slot of development. As a Montessori parent and educator, you will honor where your child is at this very moment, and not worry about where they should be.

If times or ages are mentioned in any activity, please take that as a guideline only. Children will learn the activity as it comes naturally to them. A thirty minute activity may take your child forty minutes. If the suggested age is four, but you have a three year old that can grasp the concepts do not let the recommendations hinder you. This information has not been provided for all activities. This is for a couple of reasons. One being that some of these activities span broader age ranges. The other is that while I find that sometimes it is useful to have an idea of where to start your child, it is better to look at your child in terms of ability and readiness rather than number of years. If times are included, they are meant for assistance in planning your day only. They are not in any way intended to be a marker for your child’s success. The activities have been divided up into the instructional areas of language, mathematics, sensory development and practical life skills. Many of these activities can serve as crossovers, allowing you to introduce multiple concepts at once. Some subjects such as cultural studies or science are included in practical life skills, since at this age that is primarily what those subjects encompass. Where applicable, additional skill areas have been included

Let these skills build upon each other by continually reinforcing learned skills while providing the opportunity to learn new ones. When demonstrating life skills, it is important to remember that each of us has our own unique way of doing things. While certain techniques should be mastered, for example doing a button, your child should not have to do their buttons in the same order that you do. It is perfectly fine if you start at the bottom and your child starts in the middle. Keep this in mind as you teach these skills. Allow your child the room to go and develop their own best method. You will find that the young child will better retain skills and information if it comes naturally to him or her, rather than a rehearsed action meant to mimic exactly what you have demonstrated.

Specific behaviors to demonstrate include appropriate daily interactions such as greetings, introductions, saying thank you and excuse me, how to give and accept a compliment, when to show respect and allow others to go first, assisting people in need, answering a phone, how to wait in line, offering to take someone’s jacket, and how to properly interrupt a conversation.

Also focus on activities that involve personal hygiene, such as covering your mouth for a cough or a yawn, excusing oneself to use the restroom, making sure hands are clean before offering to shake hands with someone, etc.

Daily Self Care: Children this age love to do things for themselves, and it is encouraged to allow them to do so whenever it is appropriate. Demonstrate simple dressing techniques such as how to maneuver buttons, snaps, zippers, ties, buckles and other closures. Show your child how to put on sock correctly and how to fasten or tie their own shoes as their motor skills mature. Teach them how to take care of their own dirty clothes when they change them.   A young child should be given the opportunity to brush their own teeth and wash their own body, face and hair with your supervision. Proper hand washing technique is one of the most valuable life skill activities that you can teach your child.

Home Care: The young child relishes the opportunity to mimic your activities and feel like they are helping you. Indulge this natural desire and teach them important life skills at the same time. Fill your child in on your regular cleaning routine and let them help where appropriate. They will begin to gain an understanding of the importance of this work as well as a respect for the time involved.  Suitable activities for a child this age include laundry sorting, folding and putting away, helping to load and unload a dish washer, washing dishes by hand, polishing furniture, sweeping, counter wiping, watering plants, and setting the table.

Some opportunities may include properly pulling out a chair from a table, locking/unlocking a door, pouring a beverage, opening containers that are both hard and soft, hanging up coats, dusting off shoes, folding clothes, opening closets, making a bed, changing the toilet paper roll, turning lights on and off, and countless more. Take every opportunity that you can to help your child make his way in the world.

My favorite activities I have incorporated in the past were activities that replicate cultural traditions of different countries. For example, when learning about Japan tea ceremony, children were offered an activity on the shelf with two cups, some ice tea in a pot and a mat. Two children could work on this activity. They placed a mat on the floor, served each other a cup of tea, set on their knees in front of each other, and enjoyed their tea together.

Of all things love is the most potent.“ -Maria Montessori

With the freedom to choose activities comes the desire to start and stop as they wish. Montessori work areas are full of fun potential, and the young wandering mind may find it difficult to focus at times. Sitting with your child and forcing them to do a certain activity until you are satisfied with the outcome defeats the Montessori practice to a certain point. This does not mean that you are helpless in getting your child to focus and remain on task.

First and foremost, the child must have respect for the materials in the learning environment. Each item has a purpose in the space. Unless you are encouraging imaginative play during free-play time, it is important that the child understand that each object is only to be used for the designated activity. Your child will have free choice of activities. If they choose an activity, they use the materials properly. All materials must be returned and cleaned up when finished.

All work must be done in a designated area. Most Montessori educators use some form of a work space. This can be a table, floor mat, tray, etc. Once the space has been designated and an activity has been selected, the activity should not move from that space. All work needs to be completed in that area. The designated work space allows for a clean area that focuses only on the task at hand. By combining work spaces, or allowing a child to move from one work space to another, you are encouraging distraction. Staying in a work area can be especially challenging for younger children. Sit with the child if need be until they get accustomed to completing each activity in one space.

If you have more than one child in your Montessori home school each child is not allowed to intrude upon the work of another. This means no sharing of work, no interrupting of work, no interfering with another’s workspace, etc. Your child needs to learn respect for another’s process and space. If a young child is especially excited about their own activity it can be difficult to get them to temporarily contain their excitement. However, this is a vital lesson to teach. We cannot interfere with another’s work because we are excited about our own. Each child must respect the other’s work.

Along with not intruding upon another’s work is learning to not touch the work of another child without expressed permission from the creator of the work. If one child does not want to share their own work, this is completely acceptable. It helps to teach autonomy and independence of thought. It also provides the opportunity to witness how their decisions about their own possessions can affect others.

Accountability is key. The child should have the responsibility to clean up and return each work station to the condition that it was in when they found it before moving on to the next activity. If you have a child that likes to jump from one thing to another, being consistent on clean up routines can help to curb some of that extra energy. Realizing that they have a responsibility to clean up first, rather than just going on to the next activity will help them make decisions about the rewards of actually finishing the chosen activity. Oftentimes, a complete activity is easier to clean up than one that is in mid progress. For younger children teaching accountability takes repeated effort and patience.

Observation is key. As a teacher/guide we must put an emphasis on learning rather than teaching, our primary role is observing the child and providing an environment for him based on our observations. By following the child, his interests and sensitive periods, we’ll be able to adequately provide activities a 2-6 year old can keep engaged in. During presentations/work time, silence and concentration are a priority; we should eliminate distractions even if one must use a minimum of words and movement. Finally, we must allow 2-6 year old children the freedom to explore and grow at their own pace, all while embodying patience ourselves.

I feel understanding and patience is a key element of a Montessori home. Many parents and home care teachers do not have formal Montessori training and can get frustrated when lessons don't go as described in books and articles. Understand it takes time to help children learn proper Montessori techniques and it takes patience to let children learn in their own time.

Finally, you know your child better than anyone else. If you are having a very difficult time keeping your child on task, stop and consider if they are in fact ready for the activity, or if they have just been at it for too long that day. Consider how your child acts when not engaged in Montessori educational activities. Do you feel that there is a larger behavioral issue to address, or is this something that can be handled simply by adhering to a few rules? Any home schooling parent that is being honest will tell you that there are days, weeks, even months that seem to be a struggle. At some points you may doubt yourself and your ability to be your child’s educator. This is all completely normal. The rewarding part is when you make it through these periods, when you see how the Montessori activities that you have chosen have enriched your child and fostered an amazing love of learning. You and your child will develop a mutual respect for each other, and with persistence and love you will reap beautiful rewards.

Dream big and aim for the sky, Believe in yourself and don't be shy. Your potential is boundless, it's true, You can achieve what you set out to do. With every step, with every try, You grow and learn, you reach new highs. So chase your dreams with all your might, And let your heart be your guiding light.

Allow all feelings, but not all behavior We might think, If I accept them for who they are, see things from their perspective, and allow all their feelings, do I have to accept all their behavior? This is absolutely not the case. We step in if necessary to stop any inappropriate behavior. As the adult, we often need to act as our toddler’s prefrontal cortex (the rational part of their brain), which is still developing. We can step in to keep them safe. To keep others safe. To keep ourselves safe. To show them they can disagree with others in a respectful way. To show them how to show up and be responsible human beings. Examples: “It’s okay to disagree, but I can’t let you hurt your brother/sister. You sit on this side of me, and you sit on the other.” “I can’t let you hurt me/I can’t let you speak to me that way/I cannot let you hurt yourself. But I see something important is going on, and I am trying to understand.

In the first exchange perhaps the child thought "No" meant, "I am waiting and looking and expect you to eventually pick up that statue. And I am getting mad at you." In the second exchange the message was clear. "No" meant, "stop doing what you are doing and move away to another part of the room or another activity," (and, thanks to the clear and gentle way of speaking, "I am not mad at you"). Children do not understand the language of reasoning at this age; they need clear demonstrations along with words.

In the first days, months, and year of life the infant is especially interested in the sound of the human voice and in watching the face and lips of a speaking person. It is not an accident that the focusing distance of the eyes of a newborn matches exactly the space between his face and that of the mother while nursing. Perhaps the best first communication experiences are provided while nursing the baby. We can feed the child's intense interest in language and prepare for later spoken language, by speaking clearly, by not raising our voice to the unnatural pitch often reserved for speaking to pets, and not oversimplifying language in the presence of the child. We can tell funny and interesting stories of our lives, recite favorite poems, talk about what we are doing, "Now I am washing your feet, rubbing each toe to get it really clean" and enjoy ourselves in this important communication. And we can listen: to music, to silence, and to each other.