Montessori & Child Development Montessori & Child Development Home > Montessori & Child Development Montessori & Child Development Montessori & Child DevelopmentHelping you child to sleep in a healthy wayFebruary 18, 2024Have you considered the following aspects of sleep health? ~ Light and darkness play a significant role in regulating our biological sleeping patterns, serving as triggers for the brain’s different functions within a 24-hour period. While we can influence light and darkness, we cannot control the earth’s natural cycle of day and night. ~ People vary in their sleep patterns. ~ Sleep plays a central role in so many things and is key for the brain development of a child. This includes learning and and memory, language development, mood and emotion regulation. ~ Children have limited control over their sleep routine and environment. Adult caregivers have the biggest say. Here are some principles and tips for helping your child get the best sleep possible: 1. Prioritise your child’s need for good sleep, even when faced with challenges. It benefits both of you. 2. Teach your child healthy sleep habits so they feel confident about falling asleep in their own bed. If they frequently wake up at night, help them learn to settle themselves without needing you. Let them fall asleep in their own bed. 3. Protect your child’s sleep by respecting their natural sleep patterns and following sleep hygiene practices: a. If your child gets out of bed at night, gently guide them back without engaging in conversation. Repeat this as needed to reinforce the expectation. b. Reserve the bed for sleeping or quiet activities like reading. Keep their bedroom calm and minimise outside light. c. Encourage outdoor play to burn off energy, but avoid vigorous exercise too close to bedtime. d. Provide comfort items like a night light or stuffed animal if your child feels anxious and needs help settling themselves. e. Time your evening meal appropriately, especially if your child has an early bedtime. Offer foods that promote sleep. f. Limit screen time at least 90 minutes before bed to avoid disrupting natural sleep hormones. g. Establish a consistent bedtime and calming routine starting one to two hours before bed, both on weekdays and weekends. h. Encourage your child to use the bathroom right before bed to reduce nighttime disruptions. By following these, you can help your child establish healthy sleep habits and a sleep mindset.... Read more...Learning self-regulation at Constantia MontessoriMay 17, 2022Big emotions can overwhelm younger children and end in a tantrum or meltdown. Their brains are developing and they are still busy with learning the skills of self-regulation, control over one’s thoughts, emotions, behaviours and impulses. It is helpful to understand self-regulation in children in relation to how the brain works and develops. Think of the brain as made up of two different but equally important parts: the downstairs brain and the upstairs brain. The upstairs brain takes time to develop fully, growing all the way into young adulthood. Self-regulation also develops most in the toddler and preschool years and it keeps developing right into adulthood. Research shows that when children learn and practice self-regulation skills, they are forming pathways in their brains that increase their ability to manage stress in the future. Ideas for helping children to learn self-regulation skills Stay calm yourself. When we are calm, we can better respond with new insight, compassion, and patience towards children. Keep the end goal in mind which is for children to learn the skills of self-regulation. They can only learn this when they are calk. When children are reacting in the moment, they are in survival mode. Their downstairs brains are in full swing. They cannot respond to logic or reason. Instead, help them feel safe and use calming strategies. Develop realistic expectations. Assess children’s skills to determine where they need support. Demand from children as much as they are able to handle, keeping in mind that success leads to more success. Expect setbacks to learning and growth. Reduce unnecessary demands. Provide structure and consistency. Let children know what to expect and what is expected of them. Teach children about their brains. Help them understand the role of the downstairs brain in their stress response, as well as the upstairs brain in their regulation. Also teach them about emotions. Help children practice their skills. Start by practicing in moments of calm. Once mastered, children will be more able to apply these skills during increasingly challenging situations. Play self-regulation games like the freeze game. Use out-of-control behaviour as a starting point to understand where children need support. Punishment does not teach children the skills they need to regulate. Put together a toolbox that children can use by themselves to stay as calm as is possible and of coping strategies to use when they do get overwhelmed: ... Read more...Redirecting, a positive tool at Constantia MontessoriJuly 12, 2021Redirecting is giving children options when they have the tunnel vision of ‘I Want It Now’. It is a way to avoid saying “no”, something no one really enjoys, without simply giving in to every desire, which is not sustainable. We often use this tool in our Montessori classrooms. We see what a child is doing, we name that behavior or action, and we give options for a positive outlet: ➧ Running sure is fun! It feels great to run outside. We’re inside now. Do you remember how to walk inside? Maybe you’d like to practice walking on the line? ➧ I see how disappointed you are that your favorite work isn’t available. Can you think of something else you’d like to do, or would you like help? ➧ We’re getting ready for lunch now. Would you prefer to eat lunch now with your classmates, or would you rather eat when they go outside? As we redirect, we move the momentum from an inappropriate or destructive direction into an appropriate, constructive direction. When the momentum and energy is already there, simply stopping a child is not going to make learning possible. The need must be met, not just ignored. Redirection helps the child to express the need in a more skillful way. Sometimes we do some long-term redirection of a need we frequently see into a positive outlet that is always available. For example, some children enjoy thrills. For these children, we may not wait until the child presents a dangerous, thrill-seeking behavior to introduce a redirection. We may find an ongoing way to meet the need for excitement. That may be through more rough-and-tumble play, providing playground equipment or other safe equipment in a specified area for the child to explore and be adventurous, or by providing more outdoor activities. Some children need more movement and are more wiggly. We may take this into account and redirect that energy into more music and movement activities woven into our circle time. By redirecting behaviors, we are validating the need the child is trying to fill, but also teaching the child how to do that in an appropriate way. With time and proper coaching, the child will learn to make that appropriate choice without our help. That goes much further toward teaching self-control than simply yelling, “Stop”. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Based on: https:/baandek.org/posts/redirection-in-montessori; https:/notjustcute.com/2015/02/26/redirection-redirecting-child-behavior ... Read more...Positive discipline, a must for Constantia MontessoriJuly 12, 2021Connection comes before correction. The goal of positive discipline is to teach by first creating safe relationships with children. Positive discipline and the Montessori way of learning go hand in hand. Positive discipline promotes more skillful behaviours through a strong relationship with the child, active listening, empathy and validation. It does not try to manage problem behaviours through carrots and sticks. It: Helps children feel a sense of connection: Creates belonging and significance. Is mutually respectful and encouraging: Is kind and firm at the same time. Is effective in the long-term: Considers what the children are thinking and feeling, learning and deciding about themselves, their world and what to do to survive and thrive. Teaches important social skills: Leads to cooperation, respect, concern for others Invites children to discover their own capacities: Encourages constructive use of personal power and autonomy. Here are some tips various experts suggest: ➤Wait until you are calm before having a problem-solving discussion with the child. This gives you some time for reflection and you are modelling this as an important skill for the child. ➤Show respect by listening to and acknowledging the child’s feelings. This also helps build connection. ➤Reassure the child that you care. ➤Use ‘I’ Statements instead of ‘you’ statements. This is less critical and the child will feel less defensive. “I see there is a lot of water on the floor” rather than “You made a mess with water again”. ➤Ask the child to identify how what happened might have affected others. Help him or her to come up with a plan for reconciliation if others were hurt or there was damage to property. ... Read more...Is it truly stuttering?January 24, 2021Children often have difficulties with speaking fluently during their intensive language learning years (2- 5). For most toddlers and preschoolers, these disfluencies go away on their own. During this time, children are expanding their vocabularies rapidly and learning complex language rules. These rules allow them to change simple messages (“Mommy water”) into longer, more complicated sentences that require more motor coordination to produce smoothly (“Mommy put the water in the blue cup”). It is only natural that there may be some disruptions along the way. It is also very typical for a child to go back and forth between periods of fluency and disfluency. As a parent or caregiver you may notice any of the following disruptions in the flow of speech: • The repetition of one-syllable words or parts of words, especially at the beginning of sentences (“I-I want that”). • Children might also repeat whole words or phrases (“You-you-you”) or (“I see—I see—I see”). • Hesitating and inserting filler words (“I played on the … uh … swing”). • Incomplete sentences followed by a focus on something else (“My bear — the towel is dry”). These are usually normal if children do not show tension or a physical struggle such as eye blinking, grimaces and frustration at the same time. Also, they do not try to avoid speaking or seem bothered by their speech. They may not even appear to notice. Lastly, they say many of their sentences fluently. How parents or caregivers react to the child’s speech disfluencies can influence how comfortable the child feels in his or her ability to express and get others to listen. Here are some tips from experts: • It is skillful not to call attention to any speech disfluencies as it may create self-consciousness and pressure. • Pay attention to what the child is saying, not the way he or she says it. • Be patient and relaxed, rather than irritated when the child is talking to you. • Avoid suggestions such as “Slow down”, or “Can you say that more clearly?” • Minimise questions and interruptions when the child is speaking. If you are concerned about your child’s speech, talk with your doctor or pediatrician about getting a speech and language evaluation. From: https://www.nbcnews.com/healthmain/when-stutter-appears-out-nowhere-1C6437428 https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/Pages/Stuttering-in-Toddlers-Preschoolers.aspx https://www.webmd.com/children/guide/how-to-help-stammering-child#2-6... Read more...The importance of playNovember 28, 2020... Read more...Adjusting to PreschoolOctober 24, 2020... Read more...Talking to children about CovidSeptember 13, 2020... Read more...Supporting Montessori at homeDecember 4, 2019Montessori isn’t just for the classroom. You can easily bring its principles into your home – and doing so can be an invaluable bridge to reinforcing what your child learns at school. Preparing your home and preparing yourself are two ways of building that connection. GETTING ORGANISED Encouraging order, independence, and self-motivation is fundamental to the Montessori approach. At school, carefully designed classrooms allow students to develop competence in caring for themselves and their surroundings. You can prepare your home in similar ways. Having a place for everything, on a child-friendly scale, means that children know where to find what they need, and have a place to put things when they’re done. An ordered environment also has fewer distractions, allowing children to focus on the task at hand. “To assist a child, we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.” Maria Montessori. • Simplifying your home Simplifying your home environment enables your child to understand what is expected of her. With your support, encouragement, and consistent, gentle reminders, even toddlers are capable of returning items to their rightful places. For example, limiting toy choices and providing open shelves (instead of toy boxes where toys are heaped in a pile) at your child’s eye level allows her to see all of her choices and return objects to their correct places. Sorting smaller items, such as puzzles, art supplies, and blocks by category into trays or baskets makes them accessible and your child can easily put them away. Keeping extra toys in storage to be swapped out when you observe your child growing tired or bored with the items currently available will keep her interested in playing with new and familiar favourites, and ensure a space that is not only neat and tidy, but also highly valued and cared for. While the Montessori approach to the home environment can be used in any space, it’s particularly useful for children’s bedrooms and the family’s shared space in the kitchen. It can even work in teenagers’ rooms! • The Bedroom Bedrooms for children of all ages should be free of clutter with clearly designated places for rest, self-care, and dressing. To nurture independence and self-esteem, furniture for young ones should be child-sized and accessible. For example, a closet with low-hanging clothes and limited choices will enable your child to make his own clothing choices for the day and put away clothes independently, setting the stage for maintaining tidiness and organization later on. For older children, including “tweens” and teens, bedroom space should provide a place to sleep, play, and work, and should allow your child to feel ownership of her own space. The bedroom can be an expression of your child’s unique personality and interests, such as by allowing her to choose her own artwork and paint color, so that she feels pride in caring for her own domain. All areas of the bedroom should provide opportunities for clutter control to reinforce the value of organization and care of the environment, and your child should be fully responsible for maintaining tidiness in her own space. Particularly when your child is older and is responsible for completing independent reading or homework at home, her workspace should provide a clutter- and distraction-free workspace for focused concentration. • The Kitchen Welcoming young children into the kitchen is one of the easiest ways to support your child’s growing independence at home. Groceries can be placed on low, easy-to-reach shelves, so your child can make choices and be responsible for replacing items to their correct places. A stool placed near the countertop will invite help with washing dishes or food preparation. If there’s enough space in your kitchen, consider a table and chairs that are child-sized, so that your young one can take part in meal preparation, sit comfortably for snacks, and clean up easily. “Our weekly menu has a few consistent items: fried rice on Mondays, butter shrimp on Wednesdays, and scrambled eggs with fresh biscuits on the weekends. My 3-year-old twins prepare these dishes all by themselves. They also sweep the floor and wipe down tables afterward. It may seem that I am talking about a magical, mythical fairyland that parents can only dream about. But this fairyland is real, and it is called Montessori.” Stefanie Woo, Montessori Life. Consider using quality silverware, dishware, and other kitchen utensils that are appropriately sized for your child, as opposed to plastic “toy” kitchen items, that allow her to learn proper use of “real” objects for mealtime and food preparation. For example, using a child-sized pitcher and small drinking glass allows your child to pour water when she is thirsty, teaches her to exercise care using real dishes, and supports her growing autonomy in taking care of her needs. As children grow older, the home environment should grow with them, with care given to supporting their independence in accessing and caring for the space. The key is including children in your family’s day-to-day activities at home – whether they are toddlers or teens – as an expectation from the very beginning. THE PREPARED ADULT In the classroom, the teacher is the prepared adult. At home, it’s you. What is your role in supporting the family’s Montessori practice at home? • Observe Take time to observe your child at home, without interfering in her activity. Is she able to maintain a reasonable level of order? Are materials put away in their designated places? If not, you, as parent—like the Montessori teacher—should consider the child’s environment: Are there too many choices? Are the choices available no longer interesting or challenging? Is it difficult for your child to put items away properly? The ability to focus and concentrate is an important skill for learning. You can help develop your child’s concentration at any age by observing what sparks her interest and providing opportunities to pursue it. Set her up with the materials to explore what has piqued her interest, and let her work without interruption until she is ready to choose another activity. • Model, Invite & Practice Modelling to successfully manage household tasks and providing assisted practice from the earliest ages will result in capable young ones, preteens, teenagers, and adults. For young children, rather than labelling shelf spaces to signal where items go, demonstrate to your child an object’s proper place and practice putting it away with her. You may need to demonstrate a new skill a few times, but soon your child will have memorized the routine and mastered it herself—and she will take great pride in being able to do it on her own. The same goes for older children—demonstrate how to perform a new activity, such as separating laundry and loading and running the washing machine, and invite your child to practice with your guidance. Soon he will be independently doing the task himself, and meaningfully contributing to the care of your family’s home! • Adapt Based on your observations, make changes to the environment to ensure your child’s success, interest, and independence. For older children, work together and include them in the decision-making process. Give choices, but be sure that you are comfortable with all of the available options, so you support the child no matter what choice is made. • Practice Real-Life Skills Montessori students learn to take care of themselves and their classroom and to be helpful to others. They wash tables, organize shelves, prepare meals, and assist younger children. In addition to the satisfaction of mastering real-life skills, they come to see themselves as valued members of the community. Creating an environment that encourages your child help at home can bring similar rewards. Young children can peel vegetables, fold their clothes, match their socks, and care for pets. Tweens can sort the mail and take out the recycling. And adolescents can read to younger siblings, help with home repair, keep family computers up-to-date, and manage their own bank accounts. • Nurture Inner Motivation Children are most willing to apply themselves when they feel there is intrinsic value to their work. Some parents use external rewards such as an allowance, gold stars, and merit-based privileges. But Montessori is based on the belief that pride and pleasure in one’s own work has lasting, and meaningful, effects that external incentives do not. In Montessori perspective, even praise is given sparingly—saved to acknowledge a child’s effort and encourage dedication and commitment to accomplishing a task, rather than the outcome of her work. By expressing encouragement and appreciation for your children’s efforts at home, you -like their teachers – will help nurture an inner motivation that will serve them for life. Source: https://amshq.org/Families/Montessori-and-Your-Child/Montessori-at-Home... Read more...The Montessori Advantage in today’s worldNovember 15, 2019Dr. Montessori talked about her philosophy of education as being “education for life.” What does that mean today? Is a 100-year old approach to educating children still relevant in our fast-paced, ever-changing 21st century world? The answer is a resounding yes. A recent Gallup study, conducted by Microsoft and Pearson Foundation, identified collaboration, problem solving and innovation, self-regulation and communication as some of the 21st century skills needed. In fact, those individuals who exhibited high development of these 21st century skills were twice as likely to have higher work quality. Sadly, another finding was that a majority of respondents felt they developed these skills outside of their school setting. In a Montessori classroom, development of these 21st century skills is built into the fabric of our curriculum. Curiosity and joy of learning are fostered, with student’s passions fueling discovery and exploration. Students take charge of their own learning. They work collaboratively with their peers to uncover solutions. In fact, the process of trial and error oftentimes is the very doorway for finding a new way to approach – and solve – a problem. Our students learn for the sheer joy of learning! A comment from a recent alumni is a testament to this: “I want to know this information because I’m curious, not because it’s on the test.” Not words you typically hear from a teenager! Our classrooms are learning communities, with students being a vital and integral part of something larger than themselves. Students bring forth their own unique contribution to the community, as well as uphold their responsibilities to their fellow students and teachers. Developing the ability to articulate one’s thoughts and ideas strengthens a child’s confidence and prepares them to be active members of whatever community for which they are a part. Is this a different approach to learning? Definitely! Is it an approach that prepares children to be confident, successful, responsible contributors in the 21st century? From: https://www.wsmontessori.org/article/montessori-advantage... Read more...
