Montessori philosophy believes every child is born with a natural drive for learning, and they are given the freedom to explore their own interests.
The Montessori method is a style of education named after its founder, Italian physician and educator, Maria Montessori.
Maria Montessori earned a medical degree, becoming one of the first female physicians in Italy, and later pursued further studies in pedagogy and anthropology, which laid the foundation for her groundbreaking educational approach.
The Montessori approach places emphasis on learning mathematics and literacy through games, activities, and hands-on materials that appeal to children.
The 4 C’s of Montessori are Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity.
These four pillars of Montessori are not taught in a traditional classroom setting. Children instead develop these skills through enrichment activities over time.
Critical Thinking | Communication | Collaboration | Creativity
Cultivating a Montessori Education at Home
Luckily, you don’t need to be a pioneering Italian physician and educator in order to facilitate an environment of independence, self-directed learning, and individualized instruction.
Follow my five tips below to create a Montessori-style approach to learning at home:
- Child-led lessons – lessons based on themes or unit studies that align with your child’s interests will lead to more motivation, engagement, and a deeper understanding & better retention of information.
- Create an optimal environment – create special play-based areas for learning called centers; keeping them clean and organized will make them more inviting. Offer enrichment supplements like recipes, pattern or challenge cards along with centers such as pretend play, blocks, sensory and STEM bins.
- Prioritize movement – build motion into the work and into the lessons so that children do not spend long periods of time sitting still, i.e. toss a ball into a bucket for every correct challenge card.
- Encourage exploration – offer opportunities for hands-on learning outside the home, including exploration of nature, and practical life experiences. Consider introducing the concept of experience gifts to limit screen time and promote the values and behaviors you would like your children to emulate i.e. travel.
- Emphasize process over product – it’s important children build confidence practicing new skills and experiencing challenges without the pressure of perfectionism. Model the process of trial and error, and demonstrate the etiquette of losing.
I hope you found these tips useful and are able to implement some of them into your daily homeschool routine!