More and more parents are interested in the Montessori method as an alternative to traditional education for their children. But although it seems something new to us, the method was created one hundred years ago by María Montessori, the first Italian woman who graduated in medicine, who conceived a way to educate children from an integral approach.
While it is a teaching method, Montessori is also a very positive philosophy that naturally accompanies the child's development, so we will offer nine Montessori keys to apply in the day-to-day education of your children.
What is Montessori?
Dr. Montessori had training in different fields such as medicine, psychology, pedagogy, biology, psychiatry, philosophy and anthropology, which gave her a global vision to create her method based on real observations of children's behaviors.
In Babies and more, do you want to get started in the Montessori method? Herve Herrmann, a reference in Montessori pedagogy, advises us what we should take into account Remember that the method was born in the twentieth century in a context in which pedagogical methods were very conservative. Today, Montessori principles seem obvious to us, but at the time they raised great controversies due to the innovations they raised.
AdvertisingIn recent years we have seen a method boom and its principles are increasingly used in educational fields. It could be said that it has become "fashionable", among other things, for being the education methodology chosen by Prince George (son of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge).
Nine Montessori keys to apply in education:
1) Promote your curiosity
Children are curious by nature. It is important, perhaps most importantly, that children feel motivated to learn. Motivation based on curiosity to learn from the world around them.
Let them experience the pleasure of discovering and learning from their own discoveries instead of receiving the knowledge of others. Always keep the curiosity engine running It will allow them to discover and assimilate concepts naturally.
So, as parents, our job will be to encourage your innate curiosity and let them discover and learn for themselves, even if they are wrong.
2) Consider the sponge effect
That "children are sponges" is one of the basic principles of the Montessori philosophy, the absorbing mind. They learn unconsciously, without knowing that they are really learning, as well as learn spontaneously to crawl, to walk, etc.
They learn from their experiences, from the example, from nature, from what they touch, from the people around them ... That which they unconsciously internalize passes to consciousness in the form of teaching.
There is only one difference: that the sponge has a limited absorption capacity, while the child's mind is infinite. Knowledge enters your head simply by living.
3) Offer a prepared environment
What is this about the prepared environment? It's about the child needs a favorable environment for his life. Being basically a learning self-directed by the same child, without adult supervision, it is important that an environment that favors that learning be offered.
You can create at home a corner of Montessori-style games with elements ordered in a natural way, not forced, where repetition and harmony are a norm so that he can choose the ones that interest him most at all times. There must be room for movement and for the child's sensory development through materials that invite you to discover.
The prepared environment is based on simplicity, beauty and order. They should be bright and warm spaces, including plants, art, music and books. But not only is it a physical environment, but to create a family environment that allows them to grow with joy.
"Sow good ideas in children, even if they do not understand them; the years will be responsible for deciphering them in their understanding and making them flourish in their hearts," Maria Montessori. 
In Babies and more How to promote autonomy in children with fun tasks by ages, inspired by the Montessori table4) Identify your sensitive periods
Sensitive periods are periods of age in which the child is more easily acquire certain particular skills with hardly any effort. That is, when the child's interest is instinctively focused on a specific part of their environment.
They have a limited duration, they are not repeated so it is important to promote these skills (language, reading, movement, social skills, order, etc.) at the right time taking full advantage of their possibilities.
The best way to detect your sensitive periods is to carefully observe their behaviors, seeing what are the activities that you perform repetitively, where the interest is focused. Based on that, reinforces the environment that allows you to freely develop those skills.
5) Promote your autonomy
Most parents complain that we do everything to the children, that we go after them collecting everything, that we have to dress them and help them do everything. The fault is not theirs, it is ours. Without leaving them, much of that "work" would be assumed by the children themselves and given the opportunity to do so.
As parents, we do them a huge favor if we stop doing everything for them and we let them be autonomous so they can grow . Start by establishing small responsibilities, both personal and at home such as brushing your teeth, setting the table, tying your shoes ...
To know when they are trained, a table based on the Montessori philosophy has been developed to know what tasks they can do at each age.
6) Give him freedom to learn
Freedom allows the child choose what you want to learn at every moment of your development, according to their own sensitive periods that we talked about before.
We must allow them that are free to explore, play, move and socialize at your own pace. Freedom does not mean debauchery. It facilitates an environment for the child to experience their freedom within a framework of clear limits that provide security and stability.
We have already talked about the importance of free play in childhood. Free and spontaneous play emerged from the child's own curiosity and initiative. The game without limits or guidelines.
There is research focused on free play that ensures that people who had free time to play in an unstructured way children become adults with greater self-esteem and adaptability.
"The greatest instinct of children is precisely to free themselves from adults," María Montessori.7) Offer an orderly environment
The order is very important considering that the Montessori philosophy is based on self-learning. The child learns alone, therefore it must be contained within an orderly environment that facilitates that learning.
We are not talking about an obsessive order, nor of an order that controls the child, but that everything has its place, and that if they need anything they have the certainty that they will find it in that place. Order makes your environment predictable and gives you confidence to learn. To give a practical example, if you are going to set the table we must always have the dishes at home in the same place at your fingertips so you can do it without help.
Adapt your home to children. Simplicity, cleanliness of spaces and accessibility are key to promoting the development of the sense of order.
8) Let him learn from nature
The contact with nature gives them a whole world to discover and a great playground to learn.
The natural environment is the environment where children discover and explore freely Without needing anything else, it is something that cannot be replaced by technology. They observe the rhythm of nature, the behavior of animals, insects and learn to be responsible with the environment.
In Babies and more How to create a room for Montessori-inspired children with articles by Ikea "The child, guided by an inner teacher works tirelessly with joy to build man. We educators can only help ... This way we will bear witness to the birth of the new man" Maria Montessori9) Lead it, but don't direct it
The adult, as a parent or as an educator, has the responsibility of guide the child and make the environment known in a respectful and affectionate way. Be a conscious observer, providing the necessary tools for learning, but without interfering.
Respect for their needs and their own rhythms is essential for the child to develop freely, without forcing or directing.
And remember that you are the mirror in which you look, therefore the example you give your child will be internalized and learned.
In Babies and more, let them be autonomous: the Montessori-inspired table to find out what tasks they can do at each age
