In a technological world, many people believe it is essential for children to learn about, as well as through, the latest technology. While technology will no doubt be a crucial part of your children’s lives as they progress through school and throughout their careers, there are some skills that should not be neglected. Children have energy and a desire to move around their environments to see what they are physically capable of. Knowing how high they can jump, how fast they can run, and how many tumbles, twirls, and jumping jacks they can do fuels a child’s mind and excitement. Developing gross and fine motor skills is essential to a child's learning self-confidence as well as when honing many skills that will help them beyond education.

Supplementing with technology

After a student has learned a basic skill or concept, technology can be very useful in reinforcing that idea after the child has had enough time exploring the objective with their hands, mind, and eyes. Discovering how something works while touching it, seeing how it falls, and thinking about how best to accomplish their goals in a tangible way is how children learn best. Technology will certainly be present in a child’s learning and may even become progressively essential in their lives. While technology can be an incredible supplemental tool in learning, getting children comfortable manipulating items with their hands and developing fine motor skills while pairing their movements with strengthened thinking skills will deliver a multitude of benefits to your child’s development.

Movement is primary

Maria Montessori’s philosophy emphasized movement and hands-on activities to teach children useful skills. When a child is able to approach a task with their hands, there are so many different skills at work at the same time such as:

• Problem-solving
• Real-life consequences like bumping their heads, throwing something across the room with too much force, or watching gravity at work
• Creativity is allowed to flourish because there is not always one way to do something
• Thinking outside the box can be more easily tried apart from a screen

Having your children learn in an encouraging environment away from screens allows your child to use their bodies as they move to new stations, and hold, jump, and explore different types of tasks and skills.

While in a Montessori classroom technology is not strictly prohibited, it is limited so that the students are able to use their minds and bodies to explore and learn about the world around them. If you are wanting your child to learn in a technology-limited environment while cultivating crucial physical and mental skills, give Fountainhead Montessori School located in the Bay Area a call today!