Practicing Montessori at home helps children develop comprehensively and learn more skills throughout the learning process. Through this, children will become confident, have opinions and be able to take care of themselves.
What is the Montessori method?
The Montessori educational method is a method of educating children based on the research and experience of Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori (1870-1952). This special way of education focuses on the learning process through sensory experiences. In 1907, Montessori discovered that children were interested in objects and materials designed to stimulate the senses. Dr. Montessori continued to develop special teaching methods, used with children in an appropriate environment and respectful of each child's unique characteristics.
The Montessori method respects the uniqueness of each child
The Montessori method accepts the uniqueness of each child and allows them to develop based on their own abilities and time. This method is mainly applied to children from 2 to 6 years old, due to the special instincts and sensitivity of children at this age to factors in the surrounding environment.
Montessori training method
Pouring water
This is an activity for children from 2 years old, helping to enhance hand-eye coordination. You need to prepare a plastic kettle, sized to fit your hand and light in weight so your child can easily hold it. It is best to choose a kettle and two cups with eye-catching colors to attract children. In addition, you need to pour a moderate amount of water into the bottle depending on your child's ability and bring a towel to clean it.
Parents can let their children use a watering can when they are older
Montessori practice is extremely simple. You need to encourage your child to slowly pour water into the cup, then place the cup on the table. During the pouring process, you need to tell your child not to overflow so that he or she can practice better. In the beginning, when your baby's hand control is not good, he or she may even spill water on the floor. Parents need to guide their children to wipe their own water and dry their hands, leaving space for them to develop on their own.
Children play a game of picking fruits and vegetables
Prepare:
-Vegetables, tubers, and fruits have been chopped finely on a wooden cutting board.
- 2-3 large bowls (depending on parents' classification requirements) to hold vegetables and fruits that children pick up.
- A vegetable picker. You should choose eating chopsticks or a plastic fork to ensure safety for your child.
Montessori practice guide:
Parents can cut different types of vegetables to sizes appropriate to the child's age and dexterity. When slicing, let the child stand next to them and introduce to them the names of each type of fruit and vegetable. Model for children how to use a vegetable picker to pick from a wooden cutting board into a large bowl. Let the children do this until they have picked all the vegetables from the cutting board into the bowl.
Montessori practice of picking up fruits and vegetables helps children learn to appreciate food
This activity helps children develop many important skills. First of all, cutting vegetables and fruits will help children recognize and remember the names of each type of fruit and vegetable. By having direct contact and participating in the chopping process, children will master vocabulary and concepts about fruits and vegetables. At the same time, children will also develop the ability to observe, identify and distinguish fruits and vegetables based on shape, color and size. That way, when parents teach their children to eat a new type of vegetable, they won't immediately refuse.
Next, the activity of picking up vegetables and fruits using a picker will help children develop their grasping skills and finger flexibility. Children need to concentrate and use the right strength and technique to accurately pick up and control pieces of vegetables. This trains dexterity, flexibility and develops fine motor skills.
When first starting out, parents can ask their children to divide vegetables by color. Then gradually increase the difficulty by classifying vegetables, tubers, and fruits separately into each bowl. This Montessori practice will help children get used to classifying, develop thinking skills when sorting, and lay the foundation for children's confidence and independence in the future.
Play with sand
Sand is a great toy that helps develop fine motor skills and color mixing. Usingsand sets, tools and sand trays as a Montessori practice support tool is also a good choice.
Prepare:
- Treated sand has beautiful colors to attract children
- Shaping mold
- Sand shovel
- The sand play tray has funny and lovely shapes.
Sand play contributes to the development of touch and hand flexibility
Implementation Guide:
- Children can freely shape sand with their hands or molds the way they want.
- Parents can model and instruct children to fill the mold with sand and then turn it upside down to pour the sand out. At the same time, you can also use the shaping tray to create finished products with many new designs. After that, parents need to let their children explore and follow on their own, not give step-by-step instructions.
Characteristics of the method
The Montessori method is characterized by respecting and encouraging children's freedom and independence in choosing activities. However, this freedom is also limited within a certain framework, ensuring the healthy development of children. This process helps children develop the ability to choose, decide and control themselves, thereby forming independence and confidence.
Another important feature of the Montessori method is that children are not interrupted or disturbed during their work. So children can focus on their activities without distractions, thereby creating favorable conditions for them to explore and develop skills.
To practice Montessori, you need to create a favorable environment for your child
In the Montessori method, students do not only learn concepts and knowledge through listening to lectures or direct instructions from teachers. Instead, children are encouraged to engage in hands-on experiences with educational materials, models, and materials to explore and build. This helps children develop creative thinking, exploration and problem-solving skills. Montessori practice has become an advanced and unique educational method, meeting the comprehensive development needs of children.
