The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

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Rather than working around strict rules or methods of punishment, Montessori toddlers are exposed to natural consequences to limit their actions. In many cases, the natural consequence of an undesirable action is enough to prevent a toddler from repeating the action. Discipline, Not Punishment One of the best things about using Montessori for toddlers is that all of these activities can be practiced at home and require little to no extra materials. Aside from practical life and tray activities, there are plenty of activities you can set up for your toddler that require very little prep.

The Montessori method of education, named after its founder Maria Montessori, is an approach to classroom learning that emphasizes independence and choice. A child will be given the freedom to engage with a certain activity for as much interrupted time as they desire, so long as they set up the material and put it away afterward.

Inner Sydney Montessori School. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.isms.nsw.edu.au/about-our-school/school-history/ Cossentino, J. M. (2006). Big work: Goodness, vocation, and engagement in the Montessori method. Curriculum Inquiry, 36 (1), 63-92.

Maria Montessori focused a great deal of intrinsic motivation in her observations and careful development of her methods. A Montessori environment provides children with opportunities to work towards goals and activities using their own intrinsic motivation, as opposed to external rewards. Gentle ParentingIn mixed-age classrooms, the younger children naturally learn from the older and teachers encourage children of all ages to work together. From birth to three years The American Montessori Society is the leading member advocacy organization, research forum, and resource collaborative for the global community of Montessori educators. ABOUT US Creating scavenger hunts for “like” objects: objects that are red, start with a “ra” sound, are circles, etc.

The idea is that this allows children to make their own choices, learn and develop at their own pace to build confidence, independence and self-esteem and to create a foundation for life-long learning. Contrary to the goal of most educational settings, which is to have its students reach maximum achievement in certain academic subjects, the Montessori method creates an environment that promotes a child’s optimal intellectual, physical, emotional, and social development to occur. Sometimes, the Montessori method is falsely accused of diminishing the importance of creativity, pretend play or open-ended play.Montessori Infant & Toddler programs offer a curriculum that emerges from each child’s unique skills and interests. Based on daily observations, teachers introduce new materials and activities that pique curiosity and stimulate learning. Learning objectives for your child at this age include developing skills such as language, concentration, problem solving, visual discrimination, and physical coordination.