Montessori pedagogy is for many people a benchmark in the upbringing of the little ones. While it is true that there are those who do not accept many of their ideas, such as the autonomy and freedom of the child when learning, it is still an approach from which we can learn great things.
The approach that Maria Montessori gave us from her own experience as a doctor, pedagogue and an expert in the world of children, comes in handy, for example, to learn certain guidelines on a day-to-day basis with babies between 6 and 12 years old. Everyone is free to assume them or not, but of course, It is still a perspective in which we can educate more autonomous, capable and happy children. It is therefore worth taking it into account, and since «Madres hoy» we invite you to discover it.
Montessori pedagogy: bases from which to educate our children
You can read many books on pedagogy and child rearing. Educating and living motherhood is an adventure that not only helps us to educate our children, it also helps us to enrich ourselves as mothers.
Always keeping Montessori pedagogy in mind on a day-to-day basis will allow us to interact with our children in a more intimate way., fun and full of which you will enjoy. The basic axes that María Montessori left us from her famous "pedagogy of freedom" can be summarized in these areas:
- Children's brains are incredibly plastic and eager for learning. This is something we all know. Babies' brains are eager for learning, for experiences, where any stimulus will help them grow and form as people. l
- We must pay attention to the so-called "sensitive periods": It is important to remember that from when children are born until they are 6 years old, they will experience the most intense phase in their development. They are periods in which they will be much more receptive, and where your help as a mother is essential.
- The designed environment: as you already know, every stimulus supposes a neural union in the child's brain, and therefore a learning that is integrated. It is because of that It would be very appropriate to have an environment designed to promote greater stimulation in the child.
- Your role as a guide in your child's day-to-day life is essential: you are part of your child's life and growth. The most important thing is to promote the child's maturity and independence on a day-to-day basis, and you are his facilitator, his best guide.
How to prepare the best environment for learning in your children
The first thing you may have thought when reading this is ... But how much money is it going to cost me? Do not panic, adapting the house to enrich the growth of babies requires more imagination than financial outlay.
The basic premise is to offer the greatest type of stimuli to the baby, always in the safest way possible, avoiding all kinds of risks. To do this, keep the following tips in mind:
- Toys and baby's belongings should always be accessible at their height.
- Order is essential. We must worry every day that everything is in its place, and once the game is finished, we must help the child to put the toy away or see how we do it.
- Allow it to be present at your tasks. If you are cleaning, please let him touch that broom, yesif you are cooking let him smell the food, warn him of the risks, show him how you do it.
- It would be interesting if either in the living room of the house or in your own room, you put a large blanket or rug as a space for basic activity. Here we place the stimulus objects and their toys.
The best everyday games according to Montessori pedagogy
It doesn't matter if your children are of different ages. According to Montessori pedagogy, children of different ages can enrich each other, acquire responsibilities and learn. Don't be afraid to put your baby in the company of your older children. The experience will be very nice.
The treasure drawer
In the house we will always have our treasure chest. Can be a simple box where every day we will put new stimuli that children must discover:
- Choose objects that are stimulating and with intense colors.
- Avoid plastic, wood, fabric will always be better ...
- They should be objects that stimulate hand-eye coordination
- You can put food, such as apples, pieces of bread, so that they experience new flavors.
We play hide and seek to promote communication
A great idea of the Montessori method to stimulate the attention, language and discovery of the baby, is to play hide and seek.
- We can hide them in that rug or blanket where the child is located, a toy. Ask him where he is, stimulate him with words and gestures.
- Depending on your age, we will put one more degree of difficulty. The idea is always to encourage their curiosity, their autonomy when searching and their communication with us.
Puppets and marionettes
Surely you have more than one at home. Puppets and marionettes are a wonderful way to bond with our babies. to get all these dimensions:
- Catch their atention
- Encourage their language
- Enhance their imagination when they have already acquired communication skills. The idea would be to invite them to create stories, situations, dialogues.
- We improve the relationship with our children.
Games related to practical life
To teach children the need to be responsible and mature, a good idea is to encourage play related to practical life.
- It is not at all a question of putting them to cook or change the wheel of a car. They must never lose the feeling that they are playing, the importance is that they feel free "playing to be older."
- Offer them a small broom and let them sweep up balls, marbles, or dolls. It is about playing but acquiring practical skills.
- Let them come into the kitchen with you and prepare for example a salad or a simple cakeor. Nothing happens if the result is not suitable for eating, let them interact with the textures, smells and flavors. Enjoy playing adult games.
The basic idea is that they see the adult world as something familiar. And to be mature and independent we must allow them to explore, try, touch ... The important thing is that you are the guide at all times and that you promote their mobility and their desire to experiment.
As long as the entire home environment is controlled and there are no risks, we will be safe. From there our mission is to guide without sanctioning. Don't be that mother who always makes the following mistakes:
- Make life easy for them by picking up their toys, doing their homework for them.
- Preventing them from doing this and that for fear of certain things happening. Exaggerated overprotection gives the world insecure children. Nothing happens if they drop that glass of water, if they get dirty with that plant that they want to smell.
Let them run, get dirty, fall and get up. Life is to experiment and learn through play so that the obligations that come tomorrowa, they look like something normal. Enjoy this experience and do not hesitate to try Montessori pedagogy.
if you are interested in Montessori see also Montessori for children from 3 to 6 years old