October 3, 2023
Archive for Resources for Parents
Keeping It Real
There has been much media coverage lately about the impact of technology, and its attendant devices, on all of us, but most poignantly its impact on the very young. Montessori pedagogy tells us that children up to about the age of 6 are sensorial learners. They learn by doing, they learn by experiencing the world through the senses. The real world! Montessori classrooms are purposely designed to capitalize on this developmental trait, but short of building a Montessori classroom in the home environment, what are parents to do if a technology-rich childhood is not the path to stroll down?
Here are a few ideas/options to consider when the temptation of the iPad looms large.
Make grocery shopping an event to share with your child.
Your child need not accompany you every time you go grocery shopping, especially if time is tight or hunger is near, but if you do have the time to devote to making grocery shopping an outing to be experienced and enjoyed, your child may prove to be a willing participant. Take time to name the fruits and vegetables around you. Smell and touch them if this makes sense. Have your child select items, counting them perhaps, or him/her them to read from and check off the grocery list if this is possible. Approach such outings not as a chore to be done, but as time well spent with your child. Enjoy.
Involve your child in household routines such as cooking, setting
the table, folding laundry, snow shovelling, raking leaves,
watering plants, making beds etc.
Children wish to be active participating members of their families with a real contribution to make. For the young child, these tasks are not something to be accomplished but rather activities which are fun in and of themselves. They nurture self-esteem and are tremendously empowering. A step towards independence. Make sure that activities are safe, materials are properly sized for a child to succeed (eg. a small shovel) and tasks are not overwhelming in their scope. Focus on the doing (“Thanks for your help with this.”) and not the end result. Competencies will build over time.
Compliment your child’s school experiences rather than trying to duplicate them.
A trip to an aquarium, florist, farm, swimming pool, library etc. will enrich his/her world in numerous ways.
Help your child learn to structure his/her own time by offering lots of unstructured time.
Unstructured time outside in a backyard, a park or any natural environment provides a host of opportunities for exploration, creativity and much needed “downtime”.
Inside, access to creative tools which have no ‘rules’ per se, such as coloured pencils, paper, scissors, glue, tape, building supplies (eg. Lego), dolls, cars, fort building materials etc. can be extremely beneficial. Keep quantities limited, access open and expectations for use and tidy-up clear.
It’s gratifying to remember that if we confidently allow children to experience ‘boredom’, imagination and creativity will flourish.
Read, read, read and engage in conversation.
Reading together and thoroughly enjoying the experience is one of the most important gifts one can give a child. If reading isn’t an option in the moment (eg. stuck in a traffic jam), consider telling a story (a true story from your day, your week or even your childhood, or a made-up story works well too). You can also simply engage in conversation, recite familiar poems or rhymes or sing songs as a way to explore words. Remember, children too need time to express themselves. Ask open-ended questions and let them reveal whatever it is they wish to.
Music
Listen to music, sing, clap, dance….and don’t worry, an ability to sing in tune or
demonstrate Broadway-worthy dance moves is not necessary. Just have fun.
Julia Child – Postscript: On cooking with children
In her cookbook Julia Child & Company (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1978) Julia Child, also a Montessori child, wrote the following:
“Influenced, perhaps, by my early experience at a Montessori school, and surely by living in a clan full of carvers, painters, carpenters, and cooks of all ages, I am all for encouraging children to work productively with their hands. They learn to handle and care for equipment with respect. It is good to give them knives, for instance, as early as you dare. A knife is a tool, not a toy. A sharp, clean knife is safer to use than a dull, rusty one – easier too: a four-year old will discover that for himself as you teach him to slice a hard-boiled egg neatly and then to fillet a fish. Talk to children as you plan menus. Let their small, sensitive noses sniff the fish as you shop. Work together at the counter and let your children arrange platters. Nothing gives them more pleasure than setting things in rows and rosettes.
The small rituals, like the clean hands and clean apron before setting to work; the precision of gesture, like levelling off a cupful of flour; the charm of improvisation and making something new; the pride of mastery; and the gratification of offering something one has made – these have such value to a child. And where are they so easily to be obtained as in cooking? The patience and good humour demanded of you by cooking with a child are a good investment.
Do taste everything together, at every stage, and serve to children what you eat yourself. Once they have enough teeth to cope with any food, children, with their unjaded palates, are a keen, responsive audience for an enthusiastic cook.”
Clanmore Montessori Parent Association Meeting
Dear Clanmore Montessori Parents – This Thursday October 3rd at 7 pm we will host our first Parent Association meeting of the year. All parents new and returning are encouraged to come out. There are a number of ways you can contribute to the PA that only require a small commitment and your children will love having you in the school.
We are looking forward to building our parent and school community and hope to see you at our first meeting.
Warm Regards,
Nikki Ide and Tammany Atkinson
The Montessori App
Welcome to the world of Montessori! Montessori app is a resource for parents. The Montessori method allows children to explore their curiosities and lead themselves in learning. This smartphone app will show you what is special about the Montessori method, and how it’s different from traditional education. This unique application will also help you find a school near you that fits your child’s individual needs. Discover your child’s talent and greatest potential with Montessori education.
itunes.apple.com/app/montessori/id436231991?mt=8
Watch the video:
http://vimeo.com/24755063