When it comes to Montessori, many parents ask themselves “Can I teach Montessori at home?” And the answer is YES, you can!
Montessori is more than a type of school, it’s a philosophy and it can even be a parenting philosophy once you bring Montessori at home.
Whether you’re a mom to be thinking of positive discipline, a mom of a toddler, or want to try homeschooling, you should definitely give it a try.
Montessori can fit in any house, on any budget, and at any age.
Here is a complete guide for you to start Montessori at home and create a Montessori-friendly home with how to set up the right environment and a bunch of amazing ideas for activities at home.
What Is The Montessori Method At Home?
Montessori is a teaching and learning method developed by Maria Montessori more than 100 years ago. She came about her method by observing children in a natural environment.
The Montessori Method revolves around the child’s inner interest to learn from self-directed learning activities.
If it seems to be a method meant to be taught in a specific school, believe me, it’s more than possible to introduce Montessori at home.
By adopting its principles you’ll be able to take on the role of the Montessori parent at home.
The 5 Montessori Principles
The Montessori method is based on 5 main principles that are essential when introducing the Montessori method at home.
- Respect for the child
Respect is the foundation of the Montessori method. It means you should not disturb the child’s concentration, and not interrupt them when they’re the most focused unless they’re about to harm themselves or someone else.
It’s also the respect for their freedom to make choices, to learn themselves, and make themselves. If they want to learn about tornados instead of maths let them be, they’ll learn how to count but in different ways.
- The Absorbent Mind
The absorbent mind is a very specific concept of the Montessori method. It refers to how children are predisposed to learn naturally and are constantly absorbing information from their environment.
- Sensitive Periods
The Montessori method underlines sensitive periods where children are more inclined to develop certain skills. It’s important to identify those periods to provide the right resources at the right time.
There are six sensitive periods:
- Order
- Language
- Sensory skills
- Movement
- Social skills
- Small objects
- The Prepared Environment
Children learn best in an environment specially prepared to engage and nurture their learning process. The prepared environment promotes independence for children with child-centered materials and furniture. It should propose active learning materials and freedom to explore.
- Auto Education
Auto education, or self-education, means that children have the inner ability to educate themselves. If the environment and materials are provided with thoughtful guidance, the children are let to explore and learn by themselves.
Montessori Parenting
While it’s true that Montessori educators get complete training, being a Montessori parent doesn’t require as much.
To apply the Montessori philosophy at home you can follow a parenting guide to ease your journey.
- Respect: them, their desires, and their opinions.
- Freedom: follow your child’s lead.
- Discipline: set safe limits, that’s it!
- Montessori beyond the classroom: Montessori doesn’t when the “class” is done.
- Include your child: in daily life, such as chores.
- Give them space and time: slow done, take time for your children, and include them in your schedule.
- Observe them: to provide appropriate activities.
- Alternative to bribes, rewards, and punishments.
Natural Learning And Inner Motivation
Natural learning is about encouraging children to learn through play and helps develop their inner love for learning.
By applying the Montessori principles and parenting way, you can provide the perfect Montessori home for your children to develop a natural love for learning.
Benefits Of Montessori At Home
Montessori helps children develop:
- Responsibility
- Self-regulation
- Initiative
- Independence
- Confidence
- Imagination
Montessori provides children:
- A safe, engaging, and nurturing environment
- Opportunities to gain independence in daily life
- Opportunities for self-expression
When To Start Montessori At Home?
Now, if you’ve been wondering “What age is best to start Montessori?”, let me tell you that you can start right now.
Whether your little one is three weeks old or 17 years old, Montessori fits children of any age. But let’s be honest, the earlier you start the better it is.
Once you feel ready, you can start Montessori at home as early as birth.
Here are a few tips to start Montessori at home:
Starting Montessori At Home With A Baby
Since the first three years of a child are the most important, it seems appropriate to start Montessori as soon as you can. A good thing is that Montessori at home with a baby requires very little materials, most of your investment would be time and patience.
Starting Montessori At Home With A Toddler
It’s never too late to start Montessori with your children. Especially at home. Children around two-three years old will develop a natural interest in practical life and routines. It’s the perfect time to start Montessori activities and Practical Life activities with your toddler. Even starting one year old you’ll witness amazing opportunities to nurture your child’s interest in natural learning and independence.
Starting Montessori At Home With A Schooler Or A Teenager
Most parents worry “is my child too old for Montessori?” And it’s where I like to remind that Montessori is not only a teaching Method but a Lifestyle. So if you feel it can be hard to implement Montessori at home with an older kid, you could start with concepts and habits that can nurture your kid’s love for natural learning.
Montessori Environment At Home
How to set up the right environment for your perfect Montessori at home. The prepared environment in Montessori is a safe structure for your child to develop his growing independence.
Simplifying Your Home
One important aspect of Montessori organization at home is simplifying your home. Because first, it will make it way much easier for you to make your environment Baby/Kid-Friendly, and then clean up after meals, activities, and fun.
Make It Kid-friendly
Even though safety is one main concern, it’s also about making space for them as well.
Get kid-sized furniture in their bedrooms, kitchen, and living room. It will bring independence to them.
One common Montessori “doing” is to put a lower bed in your baby’s or toddler’s bedroom and have a safe environment so they’ll wake up and crawl or walk to play by themselves in the morning. Perfect for you to keep sleeping without worrying about your child’s safety.
To make it kid-friendly:
- Child-sized furniture and tools
- Independence and easy access to the rooms
- Objects at the child’s sight
- Less is more
- Rotate and store
Montessori Environment At Home For Babies
If you’re expecting or your little one is still young you might be looking for ideas on how to set up a baby Montessori room. Called “Nido” in Montessori jargon, it means “nest” and it’s a nurturing environment for infants from 6 weeks up to 16 months. It’s usually a mat on the floor with some black-and-white images, soft toys, sensory activities, and a mirror. It’s safe so your child can be independent (as much as they can be at this age) and explore their own world.
Montessori Environment At Home For Toddlers
It’s very likely that now that you’re child is walking he has taken over your house. It could be time for you to make a space that suits them: a drawer in the kitchen, a safe stool in the bathroom to brush their teeth, and a small table and chair in the living room. Here are just a few ideas for you to create a safe environment that fosters your children’s interests and learning capacities. Perfect for their growing independence.
Montessori Environment At Home For Schoolers
Now that you might be starting to teach “school subjects” it could be time to create a prepared environment for your child to study. A small table with chairs, and shelves with “self-service” activities.
But… That’s all theory and if you do put everything into practice it’s amazing! But I want you to know that if you can’t transform your whole house into a Montessori-friendly home, do not worry. Even a small space in the living room is already great. What matters is how your child and you will evolve in this environment.
Activities To Do Montessori At Home
Now you must be wondering “How To Teach Montessori At Home”?
Once you are set up, what can you do in your Montessori house? Well, they’re plenty of activities to foster kids’ desire to learn by themselves.
Activities are not to keep your child busy but for them to grow through the six sensitive periods and develop these milestones into skill sets.
Practical Life
Children love to be part of the family routine and there are so many easy ways to involve your child at home.
They can help in the kitchen or the garden, they can care for themselves like washing their hands, and putting on shoes. They can also care for the environment by recycling, and tidying up. And show care for others like feeding the pets and serving snacks to the family.
It gives them independence, it’s inexpensive and you get help to do the “chores”!
But remember, it’s not about the final result but the process, so don’t forget to be patient and indulgent with your child… and yourself!
Activities
- Sensory
- Hand-eye coordination
- Language
- Music
- Arts and crafts
- Mathematics
- Science
Activities can be about anything. Here are perfect examples of Montessori activities to do with your child.
Beyond The Classroom
Montessori doesn’t stop once you leave the house. Anything can be a Montessori Activity. Going to the park and picking flowers, counting rocks and sticks, climbing trees, you name it!
You can also visit Museums, Cinemas, Concerts, etc. You see, Montessori at home is about sharing knowledge and growing independence through almost anything.
Materials
Finding the right material can be a big concern for parents starting their Montessori journey. It can be pricy and hard to find. But no worries if you can’t afford or find Montessori material. You can easily DIY activities at home and from scratch. Or find cheap deals on Amazon.
- DIY Activities
If you like to craft and make stuff and want to recycle materials you use every day then you can easily create amazing activities from nothing (cardboard, plastic bottles, fabric scraps, and more!)
- Amazon
But sometimes you just don’t have the time, patience, or even material to create activities. And that’s more than ok! You can find amazing deals on Amazon for Montessori Activities and Materials.
- Second-Hand and Preloved Items
You can always check in second-hand shops and online to find gems.
Resources
If you’re looking for Montessori activities to do at home you can always jump to my Activities Section where you can find different activities for different ages.
You can also check this list of easy Montessori activities.