Accomplishing academic goals may be at the forefront of your mind as a parent during your child’s school years. But knowing that the learning path that you chose for your child could also have long-term benefits that go beyond education could have an incredible impact on your child’s overall development. A recent study suggests that adults who had a Montessori education correlated with a higher adult well-being, or a positive outlook on their lives. As a parent, you are setting up your child to be successful in whatever they choose to do when they grow up. By giving them a Montessori education, there are key skills that they can develop that will help them throughout their lives.

Organization

In a Montessori classroom, a huge emphasis is placed on organization during every part of the day. There is never a time where chaos is allowed to happen. At any given time, if you were to watch students in a Montessori classroom, you will see the following pattern;

• Students choose different stations or centers in which to participate
• They get the different elements out that they are working on
• They play or work for different lengths of time at each station
• When they are done, the students put every piece back just as they had found it before moving on to the next activity

This may seem like a pleasant way to learn in a classroom, but the skill of keeping an organized workspace and focusing on one task at a time goes so much deeper than just keeping the Montessori classroom clutter-free. Think of how this habit can be reinforced at home as well. Your child’s bedroom will suddenly be clear and organized, and your child can enjoy playing with their toys individually, instead of having to climb and step over a mass of forgotten toys that once captured their attention for about five minutes before they lost a few crucial pieces.

As they tackle bigger subjects in high school or college, being able to focus on one thing at a time and putting it away before moving on will help them have an organized life while putting significant effort behind each task they attempt.

Seeking their interests

Another crucial element in Montessori is letting interest lead what they choose. In a classroom, the students will seek out stations that are appealing to them. If they do not touch every station by the end of the year, their Montessori teachers may encourage them to try different stations. But for the most part, the idea is that if a child is interested in what they are doing, they will stick with it longer and have a deeper understanding of what they are learning. They are also encouraged to problem solve more when they are interested in the subject. When a child loves what they are learning, they can’t get enough information about it.

This practice of seeking your interests can benefit a person throughout their lives. Hobbies that capture your attention are not only good for keeping your mind sharp, but they also can bring a tremendous amount of happiness throughout your life. If careers are chosen because of interests, instead of just a source of income, it can help develop passionate, hardworking individuals that love what they do.

If you are interested in giving your child added benefits during their school years that could impact the rest of their lives, give Fountainhead Montessori School a call to set up an observation of a classroom today. Fountainhead Montessori is located in the Bay Area and has several campuses depending on where you are located.