Montessori’s philosophy is a crucial process that gradually helps children and toddlers to develop in every aspect. It will be highly effective to build the self-motivated growth process of a child by giving care and attention to them so that your child will find love in acquiring knowledge. Their social sphere will also develop where they can learn to gel with new people, respect and love others. So, Montessori methods are essential for every child.
Currently, there are approximately 300 active Montessori in Australia. Montessori busy board in Australia primarily focuses on developing more Montessori institutions for the betterment of their children. Here we will discuss in brief the importance of Montessori philosophy for children.
Introducing Montessori for babies
Montessori’s philosophy is nothing but the Maria Montessori Theory. Dr Maria Montessori has designed a unique model of philosophy of education for children that is based on scientific pedagogy.
This theory or model was created in 1906 when Dr Maria Montessori was working with some backward children whom everyone thought undeserving and unreachable. With the help of Montessori resources, she helped these children to learn different things of their interest.
A question may pop up in your mind: What should be the correct time to introduce Montessori to your babies. Well, you can put your kid into Montessori by birth.
Several Montessori toys for babies can attract your infant to use both of their hands cordially while playing, which can enhance the child’s hand and eye coordination.
In contrast, the most popular time for a Montessori for babies is from 2 ½ years to 6years. Many Montessori preschools follow the actual time frame for a Montessori admission.
What is Montessori, and how can it help my infant learn and grow?
Montessori plays a vital role in their growth process. A Montessori is like a preschool where the typical scientific theory of Dr Maria Montessori is used to help children learn new things, develop their self-interest, boost their mental, physical and social growth, etc.
Child can flourish in its way with the help of Montessori sensory activities for babies.
A Montessori has different things specifically designed as per the scientific theory of Dr Maria Montessori. From Montessori floor bed to toys and furniture, everything has been specially designed to keep in mind a baby’s needs.
Benefits of montessori baby
There are a lot of benefits of sending your baby to a Montessori. You will get a glimpse of them below –
The Overall GrowthÂ
Montessori helps your child to develop their skills without judging them. The positive atmosphere of the Montessori will be very much influential to the growth of a baby as they can grow and learn at their speed.
Having right amount of challenging activities will help your baby become stronger physically and mentally.
Self-identification
Your baby will learn to value their worth as nobody will raise any questions about their curious activities. The curriculum will help develop their unique identity. Â
Disciplines
Montessori can teach your child to become disciplined. As perfect timing is scheduled for Montessori mealtime, study time, playtime etc., your child adopts this culture. Soon, discipline will become a natural habit for them.
Fun learning
Montessori promotes fun learning with playful group activities like a lock and key Montessori activity, storybook reading, playing with several specially designed Montessori toys etc. These will make learning very attractive for your baby, where they can play and learn many things together.
Social competency
Your infant will start adopting socialisation from a very early age if you send them to Montessori. Montessori in Australia is especially famous for taking excellent care of babies aged less than a year. As a result, babies become more comfortable in social gatherings, public events, meeting new people, making new friends etc.
Minimalist Montessori
Montessori promotes minimalist livelihood so that your child wouldn’t get confused among many available options. For example, if your child’s wardrobe is tiny and has little clothes, they will be able to choose clothes for themselves without being confused.
Montessori follows this minimalist approach toward every activity of your child so that they can value the things in their surroundings.
Freedom of movement
Montessori provides an open space environment where infant can learn freely ad explore. Parents can put infant in prepared environment for free movement.
Development of emotions
A child who values different emotions must understand the value of relationships. You can introduce several activities, such as Montessori 1-year-old activities, birthday celebrations, etc. These will help your kid develop different emotions.
Child-led learning Montessori
Montessori believes in a child-led learning process, where each child is free to choose their activity. This approach helps children to develop their liking of different aspects. Also, they will be able to build their decision-making skills gradually.
How to get started with Montessori at home?
If you cannot find a trusted Montessori near your residence or you are sceptical about sending your little toddler to any school, you can easily create a Montessori environment at home.
Respect the viewpoint of the child
The first rule of Montessori is to respect the thoughts of your kids. In this way, children can become self-motivated and start valuing themselves.
Read books with your baby
If your baby loves to explore books, you can make them more interesting by reading them. Read stories, poems and other books written for kids. They will love to hear them from you and gradually develop more interest in reading.
Play with your child
You can start playing your child’s favourite game with them, whether it is an indoor or outdoor game. You can also use this opportunity to introduce new concepts or information to your kid, and they will learn them quickly while playing with you.
Motivate your child
Always motivate your child in every activity they participate in, and it will help them develop confidence in themselves.
Remember, only giving expensive gifts or frequent rewards will not let them realise the true value of achieving rewards; also, it will spoil the minimalist approach. Instead, your motivation will help them to become better human beings.
Make a Montessori friendly environment at home
Montessori approach is not only about teaching and educating child, but a way where a child-led teaching approach is used to help your kid perform the things they like most. To create a Montessori friendly environment at home, you must organise your entire house.
You need to create a friendly atmosphere for your child where they can become self-dependent and also can assist you in some of the housework. You can install a few Montessori pieces of furniture for your little munchkin to make the home look fun to them.
Montessori table and chairs
You can add Montessori friendly table chairs in your kitchen, or study or anywhere in your home where your child can use them alone without your help.
Montessori bookshelf
Montessori shelves are specially designed for infant to introduce books at early age. You can use these shelves to keep your child’s book there in an organised way. Your child will be able to take choose book he wants to read learn rich language at early age. It helps with language development.
Child-friendly bedroom
You must organise your child’s bedroom in a way so that it is easily accessible to him and they can help themselves while dressing, studying, playing or during sleep.
Also, it should follow the minimalist approach so that your little one doesn’t get overwhelmed with too many options and get confused.
Montessori approach recommends having floor bed instead of cot. Having floor bed allows child to get in bed independently. Montessori approach recommends having soft pillows next to floor bed for younger children who haven’t learn to walk yet. Baby proofing sleeping area is important before transitioning child to different room.
Child-friendly kitchen
Like the bedroom, arrange your kitchen for your child. Place a small kid-friendly stool in the kitchen so that your baby can help themselves with snacks and small food items. Also, put the container of healthy snacks on a lower rack so that your baby can reach them.
Bathroom
Similarly, add a kid-friendly stool in your bathroom so that your kid can wash their hand and access the taps of the shower easily without your help.
All of the above changes in your home will help your kid become self-dependent and learn new things every day.
Teach concentration
Children should be taught to focus on their work from a very early age. You can do it gradually by engaging them in the work they like most.
Try providing them with the required materials for their activity to get involved with them for a long time and explore new things.
Bring your child close to nature
Help your baby to go out in nature sometimes. It will help them understand nature and grow more curious about the different natural objects. They can learn new things, which ultimately boosts their growth process.
These practices will help your kid get Montessori culture in their home environment. They will flourish in a better way and can learn self-identification, self-help, self-motivation, etc.
Montessori toys
Montessori promotes child-led learning through playful activities. There are several Montessori inspired toys and activities for children that help stimulate their growth process.
Object performance box
Montessori object performance box helps baby understand that things do exits even when they go out of sight. The concept of object permanence is important and helpful later when child goes to child care. It helps them understand that parents will come back later to pick them up and take home.
Egg in cup Montessori
If your baby is big enough to move both hands, then this could be a perfect game for your baby. You could also choose this as a Montessori 1st birthday gift for babies.
- Montessori toy play kits
These play kits have a lot of enjoyable options and are specifically designed for 0 to 1-year kids. Also, there are a lot more exciting Montessori 1-year-old activities-based learning games for kids, such as – Stem Kit, Read Aloud book, video lessons etc., which will be equally beneficial to building strong learning desires among babies.
How to use montessori method to bond with your baby?
Montessori approach gives freedom of learning to your babies. While doing the same, you must follow your kid the entire time. Whatever they do or say, you must observe everything and make your baby understand you are listening to them.
Your words of appreciation matter to your baby a lot. Try to be more patient towards your child and guide them with compassion. You also need to follow the child-led earning process to give your baby accessible space so that they can find their interest in different subjects and activities.
Maintaining these small details will help you bond with your baby even better. These are all Montessori techniques that every parent should learn.
30 Montessori Principles You Can Try at Home
Below are the 30 most crucial montessori principles which can be easily implemented to practice montessori at home. These principles helps parents raise confident and social child who has freedom to follow their interest.
1. Â Value your child’s opinion
You must value your child’s thoughts if you adopt Maria Montessori’s theory at your home. Giving attention and value to your baby will help in their growth.
2. Â Visual learning
You can try visual learning at home to create a Montessori method friendly environment. Visual learning is a way better experience for kids to learn new things where they will get to observe different shapes, colours etc., rather than subjective knowledge. Hence, they tend to learn faster in this method.
3. Â Peer learning
At home, you can introduce the concept of mixed-age group classes by inviting some of the other kids of neighbours, friends etc. and arrange a joint learning activity for them. Try implementing this once or twice a week so that your child can learn to bond with other babies too.
4. Â An exclusive lesson
You must arrange such an activity lesson for your kid where there are different exciting topics to learn altogether. Rather than focusing on only one topic or subject, you can give your child to freely choose other activity lessons at home.
5. Â Following Discipline
You can make a daily activity schedule for your baby in such a way that discipline will become a habit for them. Just like Montessori mealtime, you can fix their every meal timing, time to sleep and time of wake up, time for outdoor activities, etc.
While you provide free learning space to your child, maintaining the above-noted timings will undoubtedly form a sense of discipline in your child’s mind.
6. Â Child-led learning process
You should always choose a child-led learning Montessori process while creating a Montessori-friendly home environment. It will help them become good decision-makers and a knowledge seeker in the future.
7. Â Be compassionate
While trying to teach your baby new things, you should be more focused and compassionate towards your baby. Baby can sense the skin touch. Love and care are the only two things that can make your baby feel comfortable with you, and they will feel free to learn anything from their choices when you are by their side.
8. Â Make your home environment positive and safe
Create a baby’s play space for each room where baby can play and explore everything they see. Room should be child proofed in a way that anything not safe should be out of baby’s reach.
9.Choose a minimalist lifestyle
Don’t try to overwhelm your child with lots of clothing options, toys, foods, etc. If your child has too many options in every sphere, they will become confused and don’t understand things’ worth. Give him/her a two options to choose from so child feels sense of control and making decisions.
10. Child doesn’t need many toys
Having limited quality engaging toys is more important than having expensive toys. Choose toys that are passive in nature. It means child has to do something to play with toy compare to flashing light toys. Montessori way of playing with toys helps baby’s development and boosts creativity.
11. Self-help
Arrange your home so that your kid can help themselves with their small requirements of them. It will make them understand the importance of self-independence. You must allow them to arrange their books on shelves, arrange clothes, do small kitchen activities, etc.
12. Read stories to them
If your child loves stories or poems, you must read the books quite often. This habit will help your kids to grow fond of books and stories. Montessori resources will help you choose the appropriate books.
13. Take out kids for outdoor activities
Your kid will learn to explore nature and grow more curious about different natural objects.
14. Add Montessori influenced toys
Bring Montessori toys for babies that will encourage movement and hand eye coordination. Having montessori toys that sized for child’s hands is important for independent play. Having books in montessori nursery encourages language development.
15. Provide free space for learning
Montessori methods or principles believe in giving complete freedom to kids while learning. Forcing a kid to study continuously will not increase their brain growth rate.
Also, scolding and strict behaviour towards kids will create fear of studying in their minds, and it can hamper their development process. If you provide free space to your child, the learning will become fun for them.
16. Try to become friendly with your kid
You must be friendly with your kid while helping them to learn or study. A friendly environment will help your kid become more comfortable, and they will amaze you with many questions in their mind. Listen to them patiently and solve their queries at your best. For this purpose, you can also take the help of Montessori Sensory Activities for babies.
17. Knowledge of Sensory Organs
Help your kid learn about sensory organs first as a part of Montessori sensory activities for babies and develop a thorough knowledge of the same through fun-filled activities at home.
18. Provide practical knowledge
Rather than bookish knowledge, Montessori methods believe in providing hands-on experience while learning. So, children can learn new things through activities and fun games, and practical knowledge will help them remember things for a long time.
19. Peace learning
Montessori education is based on peace learning. As the Montessori school concept was invented during the world war, peace education was one of their main principles.
20.Stop comparison
The Montessori theory believes that each child is unique and has learning preferences. Child goes through different phases in early child development. Some child learns to walk faster and other learn to speak faster. Child should be examined by health professionals if any development is delayed significantly.
21. Principal of concentration
Montessori approach suggests that parents give enough time to baby to focus on one particular activity. If baby achieves something, parents should not interrupt with praise as it distracts the concentration and focus child is developing through play.
Instead montessori approach suggests that parents can celebrate it later with their friend, partner or relatives these achievements.
22. Use of Montessori teaching materials
You can use montessori resources to plan your baby’s activities to do montessori at home. Most of montessori materials can be found inside home. However, you made need some quality wooden toys that allows baby to learn through play. Having limited quality wooden toys that can be played in many different ways is the best way to save money and save environment.
23. Plan every day’s activities
You must plan your baby’s everyday activities to implement montessori at home. Activities list allows to rotate activity for each day. It provides child an opportunity to learn and develop different motor skills and fine skills.
24. Social life
Influence your child on social bondings as per montessori methods. Take out your little one to play with other kids and participate in different occasions. It will help them socialise with others.
25. Differentiation between right and wrong
The viewpoint of your child might be different from yours. But that doesn’t mean they are wrong. You need to start acknowledging their perspectives and then describe the positive and negative impacts on them. In this way, your child will learn to differentiate between right and wrong.
26. Montessori equipment
For creating your home Montessori friendly, Montessori equipment is a must. Arrange the following things for your child’s comfort and easy access – Montessori table and chairs, bookshelves, bed, study materials, etc.
27. Change in the activity schedule
You must change the activities of your child with their age growth. Having age appropriate toys helps learn new baby through play. At Babysteps we have designed age appropriate toys that helps with brain development and easily make home into montessori home.
28. Importance of truth
Teach your child the importance of speaking the truth. It is another Montessori method. Teach your child to always worship the fact and talk about the truth always. It is a rare quality and should be developed from an early stage.
29. Importance of kindness
Be kind to your child, and they will also be kind to others. If you are kind enough while dealing with little children, they will undoubtedly adopt this culture.
30. Absorbent mind
The Montessori theory believes that every child’s mind is very much absorbent. Unconscious absorbent mind allows child to learn things with minimum efforts in first three years.
Having passive toys allows child opportunity to learn different real life skills at his own pace and parents can feel confident they have given the best start possible to their child in life.
Checkout our montessori Australia toys to start montessori at home today.