Learning at Home with Parents as Teachers

The COVID-19 pandemic thrust families into having to bring school home. You can easily bring the Montessori principals to your home, which will reinforce what your child has been learning at school. Encouraging independence, order and self-motivation will make school at home achievable.

First, get organized in that everything child-friendly has a place, and there is a place for everything. Limiting toy choices, and providing open shelves (instead of a toy box) also allows a child to do it by herself or himself. 

Place art supplies, blocks, building toys in separate baskets or trays, and rotating these items with others stored out of sight will keep your child interested and never bored. If children know where things are kept that they will need, then they will also know where to put things when they’re done. An ordered environment allows a child to focus on the task at hand, because there are fewer distractions. It also ensures a neat and tidy environment that is highly valued and cared for by you and your child.

“To assist a child, we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.” ~Maria Montessori

Preparing and welcoming young children into the kitchen will foster your child’s growing independence at home. Make low, easy-to-reach places for your child to help put away groceries or access snacks by themselves; prepare a low shelf in the refrigerator where they can get their own juice or cheese snack; place a stool near the counter so he can help wash dishes and prepare meals. These are just a few examples of what would support their desire for independence.

At school, the teacher is the prepared adult, but at home, it is now you. Take time to observe your child at work or at play, without interfering in the activity. Are there too many choices layed out for your child, or are the choices no longer interesting or challenging, or maybe too difficult? Is your child able to take things to work with and put them back correctly when finished? 

Focus and concentration are important skills for learning. Find out what sparks an interest in your child and provide opportunities to pursue that interest, and then let her work uninterrupted until she is ready to do something different.

And finally, modelling is your best teaching tool. Demonstrate how to do simple tasks around the house. You may need to demonstrate a new skill more than once, but soon he or she will memorize where things go and will master how to do new tasks, and along with that will come great pride in being able to ‘do it all by myself.’ 

Kids love helping their moms and dads. Be sure to encourage and have fun — that’s what will nurture that inner motivation that will serve them for life.

Cynthia Thomas founded her first Montessori school in Brevard County in 1983. She now operates five schools throughout Florida. She discovered Montessori’s unique approach when her children attended a school in Hawaii. She received her masters in education specializing in Montessori from Charminade University in Hawaii.

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