When deciding if a Montessori preschool is the best fit for your child, understanding the philosophy behind Montessori will help you see what lessons and skills your child will learn in a Montessori program. After learning the benefits that a Montessori education can bring to your child, you will have a better idea of whether or not your child will thrive in a Montessori environment.  

Benefits to a Montessori education

Learning confidence

If your child is constantly wanting to do everything for themselves, then they are already in line with a crucial part of the Montessori philosophy of independent learning. This primary idea states that if a child can do an activity or skill, then they should be allowed to do it. Doing things for themselves may often end in a mess but children will learn from these experiences and improve with practice. But more importantly than getting better at a skill, your child will develop the confidence that comes with being able to be independent and will make learning even more fun.

Learning through play

Children love to play and it is through play that children explore the world around them. Through hands-on activities, children actually use play to learn. Physical skills are developed and sharpened through repeated practice. If you have ever wondered why children enjoy doing the same thing over and over again, it is because their play is practicing fine motor skills or building muscle memory.

Children can also learn about real life consequences while they are playing. If the child drops something, it could break, hit their foot, or cause a mess. Children naturally learn to be more careful, solve problems, and try new ideas while enjoying lessons learned in a Montessori classroom.

Learning to make their own decisions

Another principle of Montessori philosophy is allowing children to make their own decisions. Children naturally love to learn. If a child is interested in a subject, they will seek to learn more about it and enjoy it for longer periods of time. The Montessori philosophy does not believe in rushing a child through a subject just so the teacher can check it off their list. Allowing children to decide what to learn and to be self-paced keeps the joy of learning alive.

Learning to be tidy

Tidiness is not often a natural born habit but it can be taught and held with great importance. Playing in a messy, cluttered environment is not much fun. But in an orderly classroom, children are able to focus on their activity in front of them instead of having to search for missing pieces or trip over toys left out from a different toy that no one is playing with. The Montessori principle that children should take out one item to play with and explore at a time keeps the classroom in perfect order. Before a student moves onto another station, they must first return their current toy to its proper place, completely putting it back together before moving on to the next thing.

If you believe your child would enjoy a Montessori environment after taking a deeper look into some of the key components of the Montessori philosophy, or you know your child will benefit from learning these skills, a Montessori program may be a perfect fit for your child. If you are in Pleasant Hill, CA, give Fountainhead Montessori School a call today.