Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori is someone we admire here at fairechild. She was born August 31, 1870 in Chiaravalle, Italy and would go on to become the first woman to enter and graduate from medical school in Italy. Montessori was a true mover and a shaker, in addition to becoming the first woman in Italy to practice medicine, she also founded the first Montessori school, ‘Casa dei Bambini’. However, ‘Casa dei Bambini’ was only the beginning and today there are currently more than 22,000 Montessori schools in 110 countries and her educational method is still used in all over the world.
The great thing about the Montessori Method of education is that many of the hallmarks and activities that make up Maria’s educational theory can easily be implemented for your own child in your own home.
- One of the pillars of Maria’s educational method was that each child worked at their own pace. Regardless of the activity, always ensure your child knows there is no rush and they can take as much time as they need.
- Place materials and toys for your child in easily accessible areas. Maria believed that independence was the aim of education so allowing your child to access things without your help is a great way to help facilitate this.
- One of the focuses of the Montessori Method is teaching practical life skills to children. The key is to have everything your child would need to do an activity laid out and accessible for them. Some examples of simple things you can teach your child are how to peel a banana or how to wash dishes.
- Allow your child to serve themselves breakfast or lunch. Have a station set up with a container of cereal with a scoop and a jug of milk for breakfast. When it comes to lunch, you can put out a few slices of bread, a spoon or butter knife, and some peanut butter so they can make their own sandwich. Feel free to adjust these lunch or breakfast ideas to your liking!
- Caring for plants and animals was also part of Maria’s educational philosophy. A great way to incorporate this is to have a small house plant that your child is responsible for caring for and watering. This is a great way to teach them responsibility and also help foster an appreciation for the natural world.
- Have a box of toy instruments for your child. Maria Montessori incorporated musical teachings into her method of education so having a box of toy instruments that your child can play with is a great idea and can encourage creativity and an interest in music.