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Introduction
Montessori is not for an affluent kid. You can do it yourself; it is all logic and common sense. Nothing needs to be invented and/or memorized.
We know that Montessori is an advanced education, and Montessori children are called the miracle children. This is why we named our company The Miracle Children Corp. The secret is not any miracle; the secret is that children develop normally.
You don’t need a full academic school supply to do Montessori. Besides, most of you are nurturing the child the Montessori way, even if you don’t know it.
What you will need to do, is to open your minds and hearts. I will ask you step aside just to watch the surroundings and listen to your inner voice. This is the only way to get it right.
Suggestions how to do Montessori
Forget anything you’ve heard about Montessori. Pretend that the Montessori Method was never revealed. All you want is to show your child the world he is living in.
Let’s get started with the first challenge. Look at them! Analyze them, their inner needs.
Children can’t wait to grow up. They want to be “big” so fast and so badly! How do we help? We supply unlimited amount of toys and expect them to be happy. Sure they are happy… temporary. Then they want more and more expensive.
What the child really needs is not plastic toys, but a real life utensils child's size. They should experience how the things work, how to adapt to this civilization, rules how to function in the environment. Do we provide that?
Do you agree? You know, in developing countries children are happier, because they are allowed to ”join the crowd”, they are participating in adult everyday lives and they don’t have much.
I would like to introduce myself. I am an AMI Montessori directress; in other words, a teacher of the most conservative Montessori Teacher Education. My whole family are teachers. I was raised in Lithuania, went to grad school in Canada and now I live in Northwest Indiana, USA. I love each country equally. Each place gave me inside view of differences and similarities of raising the children. Each country has pros and cons. The good news is that most of it is good, the values are there. A couple of misunderstood concepts are easy to fix.
(I will use the child as he, meaning he or she, for the better flow.)
Rule #1. Have less stuff. The less materialistic stuff, the better.
Rule #2. Have more freedom. Freedom is not “allowing the child to do what he wants, when, and how”. Freedom is giving a child a space, time and right activities that he can do what, when, and how he wants without interruption.
Show how to do the activity, guide, but at the same time leave him to master the skill by himself. It is a second challenge, when to help the child when to leave alone.
The activities you prepare for the child should have one feature. The child’s mind should guide his hand. That is called concentration. Concentration cannot be broken. Actually, at this time the child's brain is not only working, it's shaping and forming itself. Now it is proved by science. The brain formation ends at about age of 6.
The longer span of concentration, the calmer, more joyful, and loving the child is. That is called natural development.
There is one more point about activities. For example “Sewing a Button”, we do not provide massive amount of buttons or fabrics, or sewing techniques. It is like a taste in your mouth, just enough to bring curiosity. The child will tell you if he wants to extend the exercise to the next level, like to sew a button in a shirt.
Rule #3. For children 0-6 years of age, before they go to the first grade, they have to know a lot of traditions, manners, language, how to use things around them. They will analyze everything in depth, and build knowledge on top of it.
Reality based activities are sewing a button, hammering a nail, cooking, cleaning – this is what the child should do at home. Those activities are not to make your child maid, chef, or a handyman. These activities are to develop a logical thought, consequences, mathematical mind, creativity, and discovery.
Every discovery came from reality. Let’s say the child is cleaning with soap, water and a sponge. What is he gaining from that? Disperse systems? Gravity? Wave interference? Subtraction (less water in a bowl)? Volume? Each time is different. No wonder they are happy to do dishes for an hour.
Such “boring” stuff like polishing or cleaning brings 100 times more joy than a flashy plastic toy set. Aren’t you tired of too much? It feels good just to be simple. Remember I said listen to your inner voice? This is what I meant. Step aside, if you feel good, calm, and happy, this is an answer for every occasion. This is the third challenge.
In Conclusion
1. Have less stuff. Have a few good home activities that lead to discovery. 2. Extend the child’s concentration. Let him struggle, discover, and work on his own. 3. Look at your child and listen to your own inner voice, not Montessori, and not toy industry, not even society, just your own inner voice. It will guide you to the true needs of the child.
Suggested Book Reading
Maria Montessori “The Absorbent Mind” - it is not a novel, but a very academic book, it changes the way you will look at your child again.
Trevor Eissler “Montessori Madness” - parent to parent about Montessori. Easy to read, very true book.
T. Seldin "How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way” – if you have a very young child, this book will tell you how to set up the environment the Montessori way. Many good ideas what to do every day.
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