Your child’s life-long learning experiences start now. If you’re not sure where your toddler or preschooler’s educational experiences should begin, take a look at the reasons to consider Montessori schools.
Montessori is a method with a rich history. In 1907 Dr. Maria Montessori opened her first Casa dei Bambini, or “children’s house.” The Italian physician and educator used a scientific approach to children’s learning to better understand what a quality environment looked like.
Through observations and first-hand experiences, Dr. Montessori created an educational approach that was completely different from any other type of existing school or learning program.
Having a child with sensory processing disorder can be frustrating, especially in regard to school issues. Children with SPD often have issues with focusing on current tasks, transitioning into new projects, or motor skill problems, such as holding a pencil, scissors, or other school-related items.
In a traditional classroom setting, your child with sensory processing disorder can be seen as disruptive, overly emotional, or academically challenged. In reality, your little one is really just trying to take in the world in bits and pieces or all at once, depending on whether they are a sensory introvert or an active seeker.
Without the right attention and access to learning strategies that work for your child, going to school can be stressful on their unique mind.
We recently interviewed a graduate of the Miniapple Montessori kindergarten program and her family about their experience with Montessori kindergarten. Elyse is now in third grade and currently attends public school.
Miniapple: If you had to do it again, would you choose Miniapple for kindergarten or would you have wanted to be at your current school with your friends?
Elyse: Miniapple! The kindergarten works are more challenging than they are in first grade at regular school. I got to figure things out myself (when learning). I was way smarter than my classmates when I went to 1st grade! I liked being a leader in the class.
How Are Montessori Educators Different From Traditional Teachers?
The Montessori classroom is unlike any other educational environment. The child-centered, sensory-friendly setting is engaging, interesting, and led by a teacher who is unlike any other educator. How are Montessori teachers different from traditional teachers? Take a look at the top things that Montessori educators do differently.
In a traditional classroom, the teacher often serves as the instructor. Standing in front of the students, the teacher leads the class by directing the children. Telling the students what, how, and when to learn isn’t part of the Montessori teacher’s repertoire.
Montessori classrooms are child-centered spaces where exploration is encouraged. But this doesn’t mean the teacher isn’t an integral part of the learning process. Instead of telling, the Montessori teacher guides. This allows the teacher to shape the learning experience without taking away the child’s curiosity, self-expression, or need to explore.
The Montessori philosophy values the individual child. That’s not to say other educational environments don’t value the student too. But in Montessori classrooms, the child leads, making their own choices. If you’re a Montessori parent (or considering becoming one), take a look at why children need the freedom to choose and how they can benefit from it.
How does your child learn best? There isn’t one educational strategy that works for everyone. Different students adopt different modes of learning, depending on their natural preferences, abilities, likes, and dislikes.
What are practical life activities in the Montessori classroom? The name says it all. If you’re new to Montessori education, take a look at what you need to know about these in-school exercises and how your young child can benefit from them.
Practical life activities include a variety of exercises that provide the young child with the chance to learn through doing. These hands-on activities put the child in the center of the action, allowing them to explore and make discoveries for themselves.
Montessori may be different from the way that you learned, and grasping its benefits can be difficult. Simply put, Montessori allows your child to learn by exploring their environment and mastering their education in a way that works for them. Starting your child in a Montessori kindergarten is likely to expand their learning in ways you’d never expect.
For example, old-fashioned modeling clay transforms into a critical and essential part of a child’s education in a Montessori kindergarten class. If you are interested in Montessori schools and you want your child to start young, learn how clay benefits your child’s early kindergarten years. Doing so will help you to understand Montessori as a whole.
Children of all ages are eager to learn about their world and everything in it. They learn their first lessons from their parents and siblings at home, and when they go to school, they learn from their teachers and the world around them.
Here are some techniques and methods used by Montessori schools to teach young children to use all of their five senses.
The term early literacy may seem like a buzzword in education. Even though you may see it repeatedly on every daycare blog, article or book, this does not mean it is just a trendy early childhood activity.
Language development starts early on, making an early foundation for reading and writing a necessary part of the young child’s education. Unlike traditional preschools, Montessori does not approach literacy with a rote, memorize, and repeat type of standard.
What does early literacy look like in the Montessori early childhood classroom? Between the materials that your child will use and the guidance that the educator provides, literacy lessons take on a whole new meaning. If reading and writing are top priorities with your child’s early education, learn what Montessori can do for them.