Walking into a Montessori classroom is like entering a room of calm and order mixed with colorful, intriguing stations that pique your child’s interests. Seeing the amount of activities in one room and yet everything put in its proper place may be particularly interesting to parents. Establishing Montessori principles at home can not only help your child in the classroom because of the consistent routine and practice maintained at both home and school, but also your child’s room can be as organized as a Montessori classroom. After having a child enrolled in a Montessori program, the benefits of teaching children focus, independence, and playing with one thing at a time and putting it all back before moving to the next thing at home will benefit the entire family.

Montessori principles

To implement a Montessori learning environment at home means changing a few things in your home as well as how you approach certain subjects.

Creating a Montessori environment

• Remove toys from your child’s reach except a handful to keep on a low shelf for your child to focus on. The other toys or activities can be switched out to keep your child interested.
• Establish a certain place for each activity and show your child how to get it out and clean it up once they are done playing.
• Create a routine by giving your child a time frame for room activities. After breakfast but before lunch is a time for playing in your room, after lunch we will run errands, have playdates, or go on a walk, for an example.
• Bring tasks down to your child’s level. Getting their own drinks of water, deciding when to have a snack and getting it themselves, buttoning their coat, and washing their hands are all activities that your child can do on their own. Ways to help them be independent include getting a stool so they can reach things, putting their snack on a low shelf so they can easily reach it when they're ready, use a water dispenser within their reach, and put their coat on a short coat rack.
• Give your child regular chores so they feel included in caring for the home. Meal times are a great time to implement Montessori fine motor skill activities such as:
  • Wash vegetables in a colander in the sink
  • Peel carrots and potatoes (when they are able to do so safely)
  • Set the table
  • Stir bowls full of ingredients
  • Unload the dishes from the dishwasher

Developing independence will bring a host of benefits for your child as well as for the entire family.

If you are looking for a Montessori program for your child, check out Fountainhead Montessori School in Pleasant Hill, Danville, Livermore, and Orinda, CA today!