Some acknowledgement of it being a process would have perhaps allowed the reader to see themselves in the life being portrayed. She decided to modify her educational method to suit all individuals, regardless of their developmental ability.

I have been busy with this list of Montessori activities for babies, toddlers and preschoolers for weeks! Fine motor skills develop at an early age with intentional activities and toys: grasping, transferring, reaching, using tools, using utensils, etc. As someone who devoted her life to studying and observing children, Montessori devised her own theory of child development that greatly informed the Montessori method of teaching. She worked for various social services in her home country of Belgium, before moving to Ireland in 2006.

You listed The Very Hungry Caterpillar as a book suggestion, but in the book the caterpillar eats cupcakes and lollipops and such, so wouldn’t that be considered fantasy, as caterpillars don’t really eat those things? Together, these four planes not only illustrate most individuals’ developmental pathways but they largely inspired the Montessori method of education. For mathematics, children first learn single-digit numbers and what they mean, and then they begin to learn larger quantities and fractions.

During her tenure at Harvard, she contributed to the Decision Science Lab, administering numerous studies in behavioral economics and social psychology. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a modern classic by Eric Carle that should not be missing on any child’s bookshelf.Using Montessori for toddlers might sound like it requires a great deal of extra work or planning, but it actually is quite natural.

Originally developed by Italian physician Dr Maria Montessori, this holistic approach aims to develop children’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive abilities through exploring the world around them and using their imagination. And it doesn’t matter if you are brand new to Montessori or have been using Montessori for a while – or even if you aren’t planning to send your children to Montessori school. It is a great tool that helps to develop fine motor skills, as well as sorting by size and color and size recognition. A Montessori classroom for toddlers safely supports your child’s drive to do things alone, developing confidence and a sense of competence.Moreover, Davies’s advice around helping toddlers to communicate was very grounding and I found myself screenshotting parts and sending them to my friends. They demonstrate respect and compassion by using eye contact, kneeling to the level of the child, addressing your children by name, and speaking before touching or moving them. These promising observations fueled its further development and allowed it to spread throughout the world (Kramer, 2017). The Montessori method notices these changes and tries to respond to them in a way that will help the little explorers to reach their full potential.

Although much of the Montessori method focuses on strengthening a child’s ability to concentrate, Montessori recognizes that difficulties in concentration arise during adolescence. Once the child has mastered both basic fine motor and sensorial skills, they will transition into traditional academic subjects. In this learning environment, children work independently, observe others, explore freely, and express their curiosity and creativity. This method of teaching recognizes the benefit of creating a family of learners to foster better social and academic schools. As parents, we use this knowledge to prepare appropriate activities and to choose the right toys and materials.For example, a child might choose to play with Legos, so they must find sufficient space in the classroom, take out the Legos, play for as long as they want, and then clean up the Legos before moving on to something else (Cossentino, 2006). Learning through play is key in the Montessori approach and toys are specially designed to stimulate the senses and help with learning and other areas of development. In terms of the structure, teachers will first present lessons to groups of children but they are then given the opportunity to freely explore and further learn.