Montessori for our family
It’s 5.30am and Mav (4 ½ years old) wakes for the day. He comes down stairs stops by the kitchen to get himself a snack and continues to his play area to build on his carpark from the day before. At 6am his little sister (2 years old) wakes and calls out. Mav goes upstairs, zips her out of the sleeping bag, brings her downstairs and butters her a cracker and makes two bowls of muesli. They sit together, eating and chatting. At 7am my husband and I wake up getting ready for the day.
Now this doesn’t happen every morning, but it is encouraged and happening more frequently. We continue the morning routine with the motto in mind, ‘helping them to help themselves’ inspired by Maria Montessori. The feelings of self-assurance, competence and care for themselves, others and their environment, is my heart wish for my children. These values are deeply embedded in the Montessori philosophy and this is why it is a great fit for our family.
It has been a constant deepening of our understanding of this philosophy, both for home life and school. The home life aspect feel’s pretty right for us because it’s amazing watching our children gain confidence in their abilities more and more. However as a professional primary school teacher, I have had my critical glasses on full force when it came to the school learning. However so far at each stage of our experience at The Melbourne Montessori School, both my husband and I cannot fault it.
The thought and care at every stage for the individual child would be one that I would of loved to give my students when I was teaching. Each child in the class is met at their own level academically, socially, physically and emotionally. The Montessori method is about guiding the child to succeed. Only giving them tasks which the teacher knows they can achieve. Slowly and bit by bit, my son for example was introduced to language through games and story books and then sound games like 'I spy'. At the moment he is at the stage where he has started to read. The words he cannot recall, he works out through his sound knowledge. This is true scaffolding that was tailored to my sons individual needs. He did not need to wait to get support when the rest of the class was ready and he is supported to go as far as he wants. Age, curriculum checklists and teaching resources are not a hindrance.
Maria Montessori studied and observed children in her care. It is something I have also enjoyed to do and I find it a powerful tool in raising my children. One aspect she observed is a child’s sense of order. Like her, I have found my children love order and find it reassuring when they know what happens at bedtime, where their toys get packed away, what days they go to school and the list goes on and on. I invite you to watch Montessori classroom youtube videos, the order and care in the classroom is something I envy for my own home.
My children love to clean and I know for certain they are not unusual. Maria Montessori recognized that although adults see this as laborious work, the children love to be involved and do the work that is purposeful. I do not have to ask my children to do chores. They clean the benches, pack the dishwasher, help fold laundry and even clean my bedroom all without being asked. And of course this is very much welcomed. My children feel like contributing members in our house. Mimicked from their classrooms, we have set up in our own home independent drink stations, plates and cutlery that can be accessed by them, all their play objects including art supplies are at their level. My two year old is not independent enough to pack away but this is being scaffolded to ensure her independence one day.
Another aspect of Montessori philosophy which I have seen blossoming between my children is the courtesy and respect they have for themselves and others. These skills are explicitly taught in class and with much encouragement and support it is translated at home. In the cycles of a Montessori school, the children are with three or more age groups. The class is like a family unit. There are the youngest, middle and oldest children and depending on development and readiness the oldest are being taught how to teach, support and take care of their younger peers. My son who is only four encourages his sister by ‘helping her to do it herself’. It is beautiful to witness as he has been treated like that from his teachers and older peers and now in class having this opportunity to treat the younger children with respect and care. The two siblings have countless arguments and fights but I can see that they are open to finding solutions together and are able to work it out with or without my help.
Montessori is one of a few philosophies we adopt in raising our children to be who they are. At the moment, I am witnessing a beneficial cohesion between home and school life. I am enjoying watching my children flourish and bloom.
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