A Guide to a Montessori Home Life

What you Know! Characteristics ofMontessori children guided towards

independence thinkers responsible creative explorers curious

Common Differences

Montessori SchoolConsistent routines

Consistent rulesPrepared environment

Clear expectationsMaterials designed for development of

specific skills and conceptsSmall furniture

Home LifeRelaxed routines

Flexible rulesVarying schedules due to busy lives

Expectations unclearEnvironment and materials designed for

family livingStandard sized furniture

Commonalities

Familiar surroundings

Consistent adult(s)

Consistent room(s)

Interesting materials

Social opportunities

Nutritional needs met

Homelike environment

Family atmosphere

Bring it All Together

Schedule meeting with teacher Get resources on furniture Get resources on toys Take a parenting class Read developmental information Create your ‘to-do’ list Prioritize your list

MEETING WITH TEACHER

Ask for a copy of classroom rulesAsk for list of your child’s abilities in:

Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math and all of the Cultural subjects

Ask for resources in Child Development and Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Ask for their expert recommendations for your Montessori at Home transition

“Just My Size!”

Furniture at Home Made for success Small Just enough

Less is more Functional Real Simple

Wooden Natural

Beautiful

Furniture Suggestions

Bed – easy to get into, out of and to make!

Table and 2 – 4 chairsChairs to allow child to put feet on floor comfortably

Safe stool for bathroom and kitchen

Low clothes rod in the closet Its nice to reach your own clothes!

Developmentally Appropriate Toys

Look for ideas! Parent friendly websites:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/montessoribyhand/tags/montessori/

http://thinkorthwim.com/recommended-works/toys-ages-3-6/

http://www.brainbuildingtoys.com/

http://www.fatbraintoys.com/index.cfm

Just Enough?

How much Target makes shelf units – 3 vertical cubes. Turn it

on it’s side and you have a nice unit. How many

Two or three units should be manageable by your child

How longWhen the toys are collecting dust – change them

out for ones you keep in storage!

Parenting 101 ? Lucky for you! Help is available NOW!

A toolbox – FULL of tools - in a book!

Systematic Training for Effective Parenting

(aka S.T.E.P.) Jane Nelson writes POSITIVE DISCIPLINE

books – for ALL age levels!

Guilt Free Parenting

It’s a BUSY time for you! That means it’s a busy time for your children!

Choose ONE change in your parenting style to alter each week.

Too much change too soon – you AND your children will revolt and chaos results. (Chaos is the antonym of discipline!)

If you have perfect parenting skills – skip this part.

More Tools Each Week

Tool # 1 – For one week, observe your children’s behavior

Make notes on how THEIR behaviors make you feel on a situation by situation basis.

IF you feel annoyed most of the time, the behavioral issues you are dealing with are MOST likely simple attention getting.

IF this is the case, giving responsibility in a pleasant team style manner will eliminate the negative behavior being used to get your attention!

Tool # 2

Schedule for same time every week

Have a prepared agenda

Light a candle or have a special way to signal beginning of meeting

Snacks may be nice - if they are not a distraction

Allow each family member a chance to facilitate meeting ( if developmentally appropriate)

End the meeting with a special reading, a song, a prayer, or something meaningful to your family

Making SchedulesFamily commitment

Tool # 3

Munir Shelli Kathryn

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Kitchen Living Room

Dining RoomPersonal Laundry

Bathroom

Free Time

Family Time

Dining Room

Living Room

Family Time Family Time

Free Time Free Time

Bathroom

BathroomPersonal Laundry

Dining Room

Kitchen

Personal Laundry

Kitchen

Living Room

Sample!

Making SchedulesBedtime Routine

Dinner Chore Bath Teeth Reading Drink of water Bathroom Hug Last Hug Lights out

Tool # 3Sample!

Wake up to alarmMake BedGet DressedEat BreakfastBrush TeethMake Lunch Get Backpack and lunchGo to School!

Tool # 3 Making SchedulesMorning Routine

sample

Making Rules (Positive)

For the Car

Seat BeltQuiet VoicesMusic everyone likesRestore toys & booksUse trash bag for trashSeat Belt on until FULL stop

Tool #4

Making Rules (Positive)

HomeBe respectful of family Normal tone voicesUse words to solve problemsDo daily choresAttend family meetingsHave family time CooperateLaugh and enjoy each other

Tool #4

Prepare the Environment

The adult’s challenge is to be certain that the environment offers all the key experiences

necessary for the child’s success.

Tool #5

Organize the Home EnvironmentA place for everything, everything in its place

*Make safe restoration and

cleaning materials available to child*

Use trays and baskets on low shelves when possible

*Have just enough!

Too many things out at one time become overwhelming to you and your child!

Tool #6

Kitchen

Safe StoolReal ToolsSimple MenuAppropriate work spaceDishes and glasses in lower cupboardsSnacks and drinks on low shelves in

cupboards and refrigerator

Bathroom

o Safe Stoolo Easy access to hygiene materialso Low Mirroro Basket or plastic container for personal

equipmento Container for bath toyso Basket for cleaning equipment

(ex. sponge to wipe out tub and sink)o SAFE cleaning solutions

(ex.vinegar water with lavender or citrus essential oil)

Play Area

Play is the child’s workLess is more

Enough activities to keep child engaged‘Age Appropriate’ shelving‘Age Appropriate’ activities

Child should be able to restore independently

Tables and rugs for work

Bedroom

Keep it simple for child to manage

Alarm clock

Clothing rack to child’s height

Drawers organized so child can restore

Excess clothing and too many choices

creates difficulty for child’s independence

Family Room

One or two pieces of child size furniture: table and

chairs, small stuffed chair, bean bag chair

Child sized bookshelf

Child sized storage shelf

Games for the whole family

Puzzles for the whole family

Art materials for the whole family

Living Room

Similar to Family Room

May function as Family Room

Decorations to match age of child

Clear rules about food and drink

Dining Room

Teach manners by example

No television during mealtime

Table set properly

Good time for conversation and

music

Outdoors

Non Toxic Plants

Non Toxic lawn care

Safe play equipment

Container for small equipment that child can open

and close

Garden for produce, herbs and flowers

Child sized real tools

Developmental Chart for Home Tasks and Chores

13 months

18 months

2 years

3 years

Picks up toys, puts them away with parental modeling and reminding

Imitates housework

Copies parent’s domestic activities

Puts toys away, cleans dry and wet spills, dusts, dries dishes, sets, table, gardens, carries things carefully and with accuracy

Developmental Chart for Home Tasks and Chores

4 years

5 years

6 years

Prepares dry cereal, snacks, and lunch items, sorts laundry, feeds pets, loads and unloads dishwasher, waters plants, makes bed, folds laundry, puts clothes on hanger

Puts things away neatly, makes a sandwich, takes out trash, picks up mail, answers phone correctly, vacuums

Does simple errands, manages household chores well, cleans sink, washes dishes, cooks simple meals, manages laundry, car washing, sweeping and mopping floors, counting coins – learning about money.

Children want to contribute and feel worthy

Life Made Simple and Easy for You and Your Child

Positive Discipline and Respect

Structured and Prepared Environment

Positive Role Modeling

Routine and Scheduling

Love and Laughter

Consistency With the Classroom

The communication with your school, your child’s teacher and an understanding of the Montessori Philosophy is the KEY to a successful child in the family.

***

You will have Montessori at Home – both physically and philosophically!

Practical Life Skills

Order

Organization

Coordination

Concentration

Independence

Contributing member of

society

Sensorial Skills

Develops comparative and superlative language skills, Problem solving, and Math Concepts

Strengthens Auditory, Visual, Tactile, Kinesthetic, Olfactory and Gustatory senses

Language Skills

Begin even before birth!

Oral language develops

from hearing!

Writing comes before reading!

Children must have conversation!

Math Skills

Quantity and number concepts are part of a child’s daily life.

A child’s play is their work.

Math is in their play.

Setting a table is math, music and dancing are math. Buttoning a shirt is math.

Science Skills

Science is the study of …….

life and the physical world.

It must be experienced to be learned!

Geography and Cultural Skills

Experience

Experience

Experience

Experience

Experience

Life Long Skills

Research shows that children in a Montessori

environment develop independent learning skills that last their entire

life.

Montessori children become formal thinkers, community contributors,

and are life long learners.

“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by

listening to words but by experiences in the environment.”

This presentation was brought to you by

The Institute of

Montessori Education.TIME is a proud supporter of child, teacher, head, and parent continuing education with Montessori methodology as the foundation.

Schools using this presentation have graciously attended TIME’s workshop on ‘Parent Education in a Montessori School’

www.montessoriedu.orgTIME09