The Montessori Method is not meant just for education, but daily life as well. Continuing lessons in the comfort of the home truly expands on students’ skills. If your child is showing an interest in household activities and chores, it’s time to encourage them to help out! No matter their age or environment, there are useful lessons in each household activity.
In the kitchen
Montessori environments are equipped with kitchens for a reason. We teach students practical life skills including washing produce, squeezing orange juice, washing dishes, setting the table and more. The next time you prepare a meal, ask your child if they would like to help. Assigning them a specific task can help build their confidence and independence. Be sure to supervise them if they are handling sharp utensils like kitchen knives, but give them the freedom to wash dishes or put plates away after dinner. Framing these activities in a fun, educational way will have your child helping around the kitchen more often.
During clean up
When cleaning, have your child help by picking up and sorting their toys by size, shape and color. This is not only a win for you but also a great lesson for your child! Sorting through differences helps deepen their visual processing skills. You can even let them sort light and dark laundry and load it into the washing machine. After the cycle is complete, allow your child to sort the laundry again. Make a game out of the different materials and see how fast your child picks up on the lesson at hand!
Outside
You don’t need fancy outdoor materials to enhance your child’s Montessori education. Our school’s garden is adored by many of our students. If you have a garden at home, your child should be familiar with different techniques and types of plants. Watering plants, planting seeds, harvesting, and washing different fruits and vegetables are just a few ways children can get involved with the garden. Learning how to care for the environment while working with the landscape is a win-win for you and your child.
Continuing Montessori lessons at home helps children learn how to take care of themselves and be a helpful hand to others. These activities will help nurture your child into a compassionate and independent individual. Here at MMS, we emphasize the characteristics in our classroom, but it’s the parent’s assignment to continue these lessons at home. If you’d like to know more about the Montessori Method or MMS, please visit the What is Montessori? page on our website.