I want to preface this post with the disclaimer that I am not certified in the Montessori method. I have been reading several books on the method as I have been trying to incorporate it into our everyday lives. If you are interested in learning more, please check out some books, look into local Montessori schools, and speak with individuals who are certified in this method. One book I currently have really liked is The Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies.
Some children, like my Little Miss, are born with their my-do-it personality while some children, like my Little Mister grow into their independence. No matter which route they take in getting there, all children get to a point where they want to be included, they want to help, and they want to show that they are mastering skills and learning new tasks.
Little Mister attends day school Tuesdays and Thursdays during the week. Since January, I’ve been working to try to incorporate basic lessons about math, science, and language on the days he doesn’t attend. I’ve been looking into ways to support his and Little Miss’s independence. When I was doing my research, the Montessori method continued to appear in my searches.
What is the Montessori Method?
Dr. Maria Montessori was a female doctor in Italy in the late 1800s. After working with and observing children in an asylum in Rome, she developed an educational method where a child is supported in their learning by both the adult and the environment. The objective of the Montessori Method is to fill the child with the desire to learn over the memorization of facts. This method emphasizes the idea of supporting children to make discoveries while giving them freedoms and limits.
According to the American Montessori Society, there are five core components to the Montessori method – trained Montessori teachers, the multi-age classroom, using Montessori materials, child-directed work, and uninterrupted work periods. They propose that these five components are what create a successful classroom where the children are guided by their interests, supported as they learn, and nurtured as they pursue their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.
Though there are a multitude of schools across the country that emphasize this method, there are also ways to incorporate these ideas into our everyday lives. In doing so, we can cultivate their learning, their participation in family life, and their need for curiosity, independence, and discovery.
To incorporate these ideals into our everyday lives we may not be trained Montessori teachers and we may not have Montessori materials. We may have one child or we may have many children. The goal, though, is to support the idea of guiding their interests in a way that supports their development and nurture their place as a member of your family.
5 Ways to Incorporate the Montessori Method at Home
1. Keep necessary tools close at hand for little ones.
One great way to reinforce independence and participation in everyday activities is to keep the necessary tools close at hand and within reach for little ones. This may include everything from towels to wipe up spills, cups to fill with water for a quick drink, or a little broom and dustpan to help clean up.
Creating a space in places like their bedroom, kitchen, and playroom where it is organized and items that they might need are within reach and keep containers that are easily opened. When children are given the ability to find the items they need easily, they will continue to demonstrate that they are capable of helping, of knowing when they need to clean, and having the confidence to take care of their space.
One way to do this that I like is to have a tiered cart, such as this one, that has necessary items they may need, such as small hand towels, little cups, plates, and bowls, and maybe even things like a watering can to water houseplants or small container of snacks.
As the adult, it may be necessary to demonstrate the ability to get necessary materials from this cart the first time or two. If there is a spill, show them the towels on the cart, follow through by using one to clean the spill and have them help, then place the towel in the appropriate basket to be washed with the laundry. It won’t take long for them to figure out that they have items they need right there, within their reach, and to begin to take responsibility for their space.
2. Helping in the kitchen at mealtime and beyond.
Helping out in the kitchen is one of the easiest ways to incorporate the Montessori method. There are multiple opportunities for little ones to become involved, to demonstrate their independence, and to develop their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills.
With food preparation, little ones can help wash fruits and vegetables, measure and mix ingredients, and, with knife sets such as this one by StarPack, children can also help slice and chop fruits and vegetables for snacks and meals.
Kids are also able to help set and clear the table. For Little Mister and Little Miss, we have a routine where they help set the table for dinner every evening. They go to the drawer to get the necessary silverware and then take it to the table and set it in each spot. Children can also help pour water or beverages into glasses. It may be intimidating to let little ones carry breakable items, but demonstrating safety and being careful will reinforce this with them. They will be as careful as you demonstrate. If you don’t feel comfortable letting them carry glass, I love the Re-play plates, cups, forks, and spoons.
After meal times, children can also help clear the table and take their plates to the sink. If you have a small step stool, they can help wash plates off to go into the dishwasher. We don’t have a step stool, so Little Miss and Little Mister help us by loading the dishes we’ve rinsed off into the dishwasher. Once the dishwasher has been run, they help by unloading items like the silverware and plates.
3. Learning the necessary life skill of doing the laundry.
So I’m going to be honest – I used to love doing the laundry, especially folding. I know this is an unpopular opinion and that laundry for many is the bane of their existence. Folding laundry to me was zen like. I could just zone out and fold. The repetitive nature of folding a pile of shirts or boxers was relaxing. It was probably from all those years of working at Old Navy that influenced me in this regard.
These days, however, children produce so much laundry. I’m talking piles and piles. I usually do both Little Mister’s and Little Miss’s laundry at the same time. This is great except for the sheer amount it creates for me to fold. Some days, I jump at the chance to get to fold the cloth diapers. Other days, I just climb into bed and leave the laundry to fold itself. To my shock and surprise, it never does.
My children, however, always want to be with me when I’m in the laundry room. They are so excited to help move the laundry from the washer to the dryer. They want to help pull the clothes out of the dryer and hand them up to me – which really helps my back, I will say. One of their favorite things to do is to help pour the detergent and softener and set the machines to run.
Laundry is a straightforward way to incorporate the Montessori method into your everyday life. Make the laundry basket accessible to them so that they can put their clothes away when they change. When laundry day rolls around, demonstrate and have them help sort the clothes. Pretty soon, you will find that they are sorting the clothes on their own. Provide the measuring cups for measuring out the detergent. And when the laundry’s done, have them sort the clothes into piles of shirts, pants, underwear, and more. Then you can help fold if you prefer. There are so many ways that they can develop their skills with doing the laundry.
The important part, though, is to demonstrate and let them lead. Don’t jump on their actions to correct them. Let them finish the task independently. I know this can be especially difficult when it comes to sorting. Heaven forbid something red accidentally mixes with the whites. If this happens, sit on your hands and wait until they are done. Allow them to finish the task to the best of their abilities. Then once they have moved on, before the clothes are placed in the laundry, make necessary adjustments. If they are still there, you can provide a brief explanation that the red item will turn everything white pink or that their jeans will dye their white shirt light blue, but finishing the task and explaining without correcting is an important part of the Montessori method.
4. The dog needs to eat, too!
Maybe you don’t have a dog. Maybe it’s a cat. Or a gerbil. Or even just a fish. Giving your child responsibilities such as feeding, filling their water dish, and giving a nightly treat will reinforce important concepts such as sharing and fine motor skills. Suddenly, your child is responsible for more than just themselves, they are responsible for another member of the family and their well being.
Little Mister loves to help take our dog, Elvis, for walks. When we put the leash on Elvis, Little Mister immediately starts trying to pick up the leash to help. Unfortunately, Elvis is far too strong to allow Little Mister to hold the leash. If we’re being honest, Elvis is too strong for me to hold the leash. So we find similar jobs for Little Mister that helps with walking without being the only one holding the leash. This may include him demonstrating stopping at a corner and waiting like we want Elvis to do. This may be helping hold the leash or buckle the harness. It may include holding onto a few small treats during the walk to give Elvis when he does something good. All of these actions provide a way for Little Mister to be included and to manage a small part of the larger activity.
5. Activities outside of the house that influence home life are important.
There are two activities outside of the house that are so important towards the development and well-being of our children. Grocery shopping and volunteer work are two ways that our children can contribute to our households both in a physical way and in an emotional and cognitive way.
With grocery shopping, I love having our children help pick out fruits and vegetables, add items we need to the cart, and learning about the foods that we use in our house. Kids can help by making lists of ingredients that we need for meals can be done using picture lists, choosing healthy snacks, and pushing the shopping cart through the store.
With volunteer work, it is important to demonstrate to our children how to give back, to take care of our community, and to show them that everyone isn’t as fortunate as we are. This may include trips to a local nursing home to visit with the elderly, clean up mornings at your local park, or serving at a local mission.
These two things may not seem quite as in align with the Montessori method. You may look at these and question how these are child-directed or independent work times. With these two activities, nurture their desire to learn more, to discover their words, and to support their place as a participating member in their family and their community, ideals that are core to the Montessori method.
Using ideals from the Montessori method can be a great way to nurture your child’s independent spirit and their desire to discover. It allows them to lead in their learning and their development while you support them. The Montessori method may seem more obvious in an education environment, but it’s entirely possible to incorporate it into your everyday lives.
If you would like to learn more, check out some of the following resources…
The Secret of Childhood by Maria Montessori
The Montessori Method by Maria Montessori
American Montessori Society website
The Montessori Child by Simone Davies