If you were able to join us this past week for our Primary Deep Dive, you heard Alison Breithaupt mention the trio of elements that allow the Montessori ‘magic’ to flow in a classroom. Those essential elements are:
- the training of the guide
- the prepared environment
- and the materials in the classroom.
The materials cannot be used in isolation outside of the context of the other two elements … it simply will not produce the same effect. The topic of this blog is about ‘doing’ Montessori at home and it seems an impossible feat we set before you if all of a sudden the materials – the legacy of Dr. Montessori herself – are now off limits. What if I shared that another harmonious trilogy can be created within the context of your family? It may not produce the same magical melody as we sing in the classroom, but it is a tune of a different nature – and one just as powerful.
You are your child’s very first teacher – their most important guide in life. Schools often lay claim to building a child’s foundation in life. The work we do in the classroom certainly strengthens their base of knowledge, but it is by watching you that your child builds the pillars upon which their foundation rests. You model the values in life that are most worthy to prioritize.
This is a good time to do a quick self-reflection and ensure the habits you are modeling are the ones you want your children to mirror their life after. Is competition for attention at your house fiercely divided among work, household chores or responsibilities, technology, or hobbies? Is your child learning what a healthy work/life balance ratio is? Are they encouraged to make meaningful family contributions in a way that helps them feel valued and worthy? Are spaces in your home designed for your child to create independent routines? Are hooks low enough to hang backpacks and coats, clothes and utensils in accessible drawers, and healthy snacks within reach without support? These minor adjustments can have a resounding effect on your family's rhythms. Is your child learning to have a wholesome relationship with technology – one that teaches them how it can be used as a purposeful tool for progress? Is your family building a collection of hobbies together – ones that will create lasting connections and joint memories?
After looking at the values you model through your actions, the second element to consider is the words we speak. This directly correlates to the message above because sometimes the words our children hear come in through their ears, and other messages they feel directly pierce their heart. If you are familiar with Don Miguel Ruiz’s book, The Four Agreements, you will remember his first agreement, from which all other agreements stem, is to be “impeccable with our words.” This simple act of striving for impeccability will create a channel from which positive energy can flow freely. Just as the bell work in our classroom trains your child’s ear to hear Perfect Pitch, let your words train your child’s ears to listen for truth, wisdom, and love.
The final element needed to round out the trio of our good works and our words is that of presence. Know that every day you show up for your child is enough. The love we have runs so deep that just being there to share the laughs and catch their tears is enough. Teach them how to hold space in their heart for one another when you have to be apart and make the time you have with one another a gift simply by being present.
Authentic experiences come directly from the heart. They speak intentions and truths to your child in a way that no other lesson can. Incorporating Montessori’s philosophy into your home doesn’t have to involve doing anything other than checking the intention behind what you are already doing.
If you look to social media for ideas about Montessori for very young children, you will likely see lots of stuff. There are several materials in our classrooms that would be excellent in a home as well, but I would argue the best way to do Montessori at home is to include your child in as many aspects of daily life as you can. These activities are referred to as the practical life curriculum in our classrooms.
Practical life encompasses all of the activities and actions that we do every day to take care of ourselves, others, and the space that we live in. Some of these activities are related to our basic survival, such as preparing and eating food, and many of them are what we would think of as chores to be done to keep our households running smoothly.
We talk a lot about practical life in the Montessori environment because those exercises encourage so many aspects of development in the young child. Practical life fosters growth in fine motor, gross motor, language, and social-emotional literacy. It also highlights one of the most important skills for a young child to develop: independence.
The most important aspect of doing practical life activities with babies and young toddlers is to have the house prepared for them. This does not mean they need to have a beautiful IKEA kitchen like you may have seen on Instagram. Having a basket of towels that they can access and a place for the wet/dirty ones to go is enough. Smaller utensils are great, but it is more important to allow them to be involved when you feel comfortable doing so than wait until you have all the perfect items.
We do these practical life activities every day in our own homes without thinking about it. Children start their lives with these activities being done to or around them. The child absorbs who does those activities and how that person does them. As children get closer to pulling to stand and walking, they become intensely interested in participating in these activities.
Even the youngest babies watch and absorb everything around them. We can include babies who aren’t able to sit up yet by doing appropriate activities next to them and narrating the process. They are frequently happy to observe us as we move about cleaning our homes and are that much more likely to participate where they can as they are physically able.
Here is a non-exhaustive chart of activities that you might be able to incorporate into your home routines with your children:
6-12 months | 12-24 months | 24-36 months | |
Cleaning the table | -Wiping spills while seated in their high chair | -Retrieving cloth and placing soiled cloth in the laundry basket | -Clearing plates to the sink |
Laundry | -Load individual items into a front-loading washing machine |
-Loading the washing machine -Flipping laundry to the dryer
|
-Sorting -Folding -Putting their clothes away -Hanging clothes on hangers
|
Cooking, baking, and meal times |
-Pouring water into cup -Transferring items from cutting board to bowl -Self-feeding -Washing vegetables in a bowl of water
|
-Slicing -Spreading -Adding ingredients -Stirring -Peeling oranges -Shucking corn -Sprinkling (seeds, herbs, etc.) -Using a fork -Setting the table
|
-More advanced knife skills -Scooping -Measuring -Filling muffin tins -Grinding pepper -Peeling vegetables
|
Care of Home |
-Unloading dishwasher -Water outdoor plants
|
-Loading dishwasher -Watering plants -Dusting shelves -Sweeping -Vacuuming -Mopping -Arranged flowers in vases -Restoring order with help
|
-Sweeping into a dustpan -Cleaning windows and mirrors with vinegar spray -Dusting plant leaves -Cut flower stems -Repotting plants -Restoring order independently
|
Care of Self |
-Participating in dressing and undressing -Giving two choices for clothing options for the day
|
-Brushing teeth -Brushing hair -Washing hands -Pulling zipper up -Closing velcro on shoes -Independent dressing and undressing -Wiping their nose
|
-Cleaning shoes -Buttoning clothes -Threading zippers -Independently changing shoes
|
Our class traveled to Harbor Springs to learn about the Anishinaabe and their incredible and inspiring history. Eric Hemenway was kind enough to teach us about his culture and the history of Holy Childhood, a Native American boarding school. We stayed at Wilderness State Park for the night and enjoyed Odawa classics that consist of wild rice, squash, and for a main, delicious fish.
When we arrived at the campground, Eric met us and we discussed the history, culture, and traditions of the Anishinaabe. The campground we stayed at was once called Little Fox. While we stayed there, some of the class saw a little fox run across the beach. It was pretty incredible. After dinner, we finished the night off with a closing circle and the option to go to the beach and enjoy the stars. The stars that night were so enlightening.
Day two had many adventures. First, we got up early and enjoyed cornmeal pancakes with blueberry preserves and freshly made eggs. After, we headed to the sight of where Holy Childhood used to stand. Holy Childhood is one of 400 Native American boarding schools. Holy Childhood's goal was to strip Native Americans of their language, culture, traditions, and their family. Many of the survivors expressed how cruel and humiliating the conditions were. After learning about Holy Childhood we drove to Charlevoix and went to an Anishinaabe church and learned more about the tribes. After exploring, we headed home to Traverse City.
We would like to thank our school and teachers for taking us to Harbor Springs to learn about the Anishinaabe. Also, a big thank you to Eric Hemenway for taking time to teach us about his incredible culture.
In the second week of school, our class took a trip to the Michigan Upper Peninsula. First, we visited Fort Michilimackinac. Fort Michilimackinac is a military outpost located in Mackinaw City. After, we visited the famous Soo Locks Boat tour. The Soo locks use gravity to move water in and out of lock chambers, allowing boats to travel through the Great Lakes. For dinner, we ate at this incredible place called “The Wicked Sister”. To wrap up the first day we camped at Tahquamenon Falls. Tahquamenon Falls has over 50,000 gallons of water and has over 500,000 visitors a year.
Day two had many amazing adventures. First, we took a boat to sightsee the beautiful Pictured Rocks. Pictured Rocks was established on October 15, 1966, and is known for its beautiful sandstone cliffs. For lunch, we enjoyed the local delicacy, pasties. After, we drove to our campsite, Baraga State Park. To finish the day off, we enjoyed pizza and hung out at a park.
Day three, we went to a key spot for the economy in 1845 through 1887, The Quincey Copper Mine. We went underground and explored the life of a miner as well as their critical working conditions. For 8th-grade student Henry Davis, we enjoyed ice cream at the Copper Scoop for his birthday. After our delicious treat, we went to a museum about the mining community in the Upper Peninsula. After that, we drove up to an incredible lookout on Brockway Mountain. We enjoyed the golden hour on the mountain. Then we headed to our campsite, Wilkins State Park Where we settled in for the night.
Day four, to start our day off we woke up really early and went to Horseshoe Bay to watch the sunrise. It was so beautiful. After the sunrise, we started the three-hour drive to Cliffs Iron Mine where we learned all about the mine and things that happened in it. We learned a lot of different stories, like one day when the minors were working in one of the shafts it started flooding and three men tried escaping by climbing a ladder. Two of them got sucked into the water but the third made it out. It was a really sad event that killed multiple people. After we learned about the mines, we got into the vans to eat dinner and go to our new campsite, Indian Lake Campground. Since it was the last night we got to do a campfire and smores.
Day five, when we woke up we got in the vans and headed to Kitch-iti-kipi. It is a very beautiful spring and we got on a floating dock that traveled across the springs so we could get a good view. After we finished looking at the gorgeous springs we got in the van and started the long drive back to Traverse City.
We would like to thank our school and teachers for taking us on this incredible trip with many memories and experiences we will never forget. We are forever grateful that we got the opportunity to experience the beauty of the Michigan Upper Peninsula. Thank you!
Written by: Ava and Gwennie, Compass Junior High Biographers
Photo credit: Olivia, Compass Junior High Photographer