We want to raise confident kids and the Montessori Method of education can definitely support you in doing that. Shannon Teguh, the daughter of a librarian, became inspired by the Montessori method of education. In today’s episode you’ll get a good understanding of what this method is and learn how you can incorporate it into your child’s education…
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Connect with Shannon on IG @Motherhood_Union & on her website
This Episode Discusses:
Shannon’s story, her discovery of the Montessori Method & how she practically uses it in her home.
The foundations of the Montessori Method
What happens in a Montessori school setting?
What the Montessori style of education is
Practical ways the method of education can be incorporated into your homeschooling/parenting
How to set up your home to encourage a Montessori style of learning.
If you prefer to read rather than listen, here is a summary of the episode.
(Please note that this is not a word for word transcription)
Lets face it…Being a homeschooling mom who also works from home can be pure chaos! As you’ve probably already noticed, despite the occasional laugh track, life isn’t a sitcom and everyday struggles are rarely resolved in 30 minutes with commercial breaks to keep your sanity in check so the right strategies and mindset are vital for becoming more productive and less overwhelmed with all the things life throws at us. Enter the Simply Freeing Podcast…Episodes for the highly passionate, busy work at home, homeschooling mama ready to break away from cultural norms and raise life long learners. So let kick stress to the curb, throw chaos out the door and order in some peace and simplicity…with a cup of coffee, or 3.
Montessori is a child led education method rather than a teacher guided or teacher directed method. It’s different from the traditional school model because everyone learns the same things with the same method regardless of whether or not the child is interested in a certain topic or not.
In a child led education model you are going to “follow the child” by looking at what they are interested in and what their developmental stage is and you’re building the academics around that. It’s not about fighting against them but working with them. This is amazing because if you catch them in the right moment and at the right stage, it’s effortless and because you’re not forcing anything upon them you’re going to learn so much easier and with a lot more joy.
This might seem easier to implement in a homeschool setting. What would that look like in a school setting with a lot of children with so many different interests? In a Montessori school classes are set up so that there are 3 age ranges all together. They get to practice and see how things work and also learn from the older kids. The schools are also set up so that the children have activities that are only age appropriate. They aren’t going to have to learn harder concepts. Kids are given the freedom to go and explore on their own in a classroom. It seems as if this might be chaotic with children everywhere but it truly becomes this environment of cooperation and respect.
Often people think of Montessori as children who become quiet little robots and not playing. This is a big misconception because there is a lot of interactive play that happens. The reason that they are more focused is because it’s something that is attractive to them at that age or developmental stage so they are really wanting to learn and practice on the activity that interests them.
The teachers in a Montessori school are called guides, not teachers. Their role is to guide the child through the activity. They may demonstrate how to do something but they are usually not teaching big lessons to the whole class. They might guide individualized lessons.
At what age would you start incorporating the Montessori Method at home and what would that typically look like?
The Montessori Method often starts from birth. You aren’t teaching them anything but you are letting the child explore freely. Sensory bins and activities that are put together to give little ones opportunities to explore are often not necessary. With babies, this exploration happens naturally with their senses every time they pick up something to put it in their mouth. So much is happening in their brains and they are exploring with their whole body. They are picking everything up and processing it all on their own and that’s how learning is happening at such a young age.
You can give them the freedom to learn by exploring and accessing their environment…more time on a blanket on the grass and less time in Jumparoos or strollers. You are actually doing less for them and let them learn on their own more often. A lot of those power struggles and tantrums come during times when children are trying to do things on their own and the parent ends up doing everything for them because it’s easier. If we don’t give them the opportunity to learn it and do it on their own, they aren’t going to have the opportunity.
A Montessori home might have an entryway with cubbies and a low coat rack, lower chairs and tables and lower beds. Giving a child choices and making things accessible to them helps them learn.
The Montessori Method was derived from a woman in Italy, Dr. Maria Montessori. She did a scientific study of children. She discovered that there are sensitive periods, times in their lives, where there are certain skills that they are working on and their brains are specifically attracted to learning those skills, specifically from birth to age 6.
For example, from birth through age 2 and ages 2 to 5 children learn a lot of movement. They are learning how to roll over, crawl, walk, run and climb. Another example is that there are certain ages that children are attracted to certain skills. For example, kids have a period of time that is for a sense of order. If you see a child line up dolls, trucks or want to wear a certain color shoe, that’s their development saying I want to learn the routines so that I can fit into society around me so if you mess up that order, things can get rough. So knowing that you don’t have to do everything the same way everyday but understand that children do like routine, especially at that age can help tremendously. Working within those boundaries and knowing that they are picking up on things and that they want things a certain way, can definitely help.
How can you incorporate the Montessori Method at home if you’re new to this philosophy?
Montessori doesn’t actually start any academics until after age 3. You are given a grace period of working on the beginning developmental periods of the mind at home until the academics start.
As the children get older there are a lot of things you can do to help develop their academic range. There are sound games, setting up activities, toys or materials in left to right order, easiest to hardest. This is actually a pre-reading skill. Some other examples would work with concrete examples of numbers. This is the number 1 and here is 1 rock. Montessori uses a lot of nature based materials. Using a lot of tactile materials helps them with math skills.
How can you begin incorporating more of an interest led Montessori learning within homeschooling? You can pay attention to what drives your children. There is an internal drive in children that has to be unlocked. Often people feel that their child will be missing out when doing this but you aren’t! Even if you aren’t completely homeschooling, you can add in things that they are interested in or explore things that they want to learn on the weekends.
What does a Montessori Playroom look like? Weed out loud, electronic toys. Sometimes we think a toy is teaching a child something but it’s better to encourage them to use their imagination. A playroom that allows them to move around and especially when they are at at movement developmental stage, have things they can climb and throw is great. If a child is taking toys and throwing them that’s often a sign that more movement is needed.
It’s also important to understand when deciding on a playroom set up that a lot of times people want to build that space with toys and climbing equipment but in reality they want to be where you are! They want to know what the routines are that mom is doing? Have a play space that is close by with a low shelf that is divided so that you don’t have a lot of things out all at once.
What about screen time? is that discouraged in the Montessori Method? The Montesori Method was established over 100 years ago when there were not any screens. Today, anything that distracts from learning is discouraged. There is not a ton of screen time and not a lot of bright flashy toys.
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Stress comes out of us in so many different ways. some of us shut down, some of us freak out, some of us give in to the stress, some of literally become a magnet for guilt!
So if you’re brand new to homeschooling, on the fence about beginning, or in the midst of it with a ton of guilt that you’re barely teaching at all, or piling the work onto unhappy kids, you’ll walk away from this class with more clarity around your homeschool choices. Your time with your kids is so precious. homeschooling doesn’t have to feel hard or that it’s a burden.
I’m going to teach you my signature sacred method to help you go from feeling frazzled to more free! You’ll get more done in less time and with a clearer focus.
This class is happening on Thursday, Feb 24th at 9pm EST right on zoom. you can sign up at simplyfreeing.com/sfh When you sign up you’ll get your workbook for the class so that you can take notes and most importantly take action right away.
I am so exited and I can’t wait to see you there! I’ll see you next time friends.