Many parents have asked us how they can work with their child at home to help their overall development, without contradicting what we are doing in the nursery environment.

Below are a few simple yet effective ideas that can help your little one continue to progress in all areas of learning:

SEE ALSO: What is montessori education?

1. Give your child the opportunity to take on responsibilities around the house.

Examples of these include letting them wash the dishes after dinner, making their bed, sweeping the floor, watering the plants, taking out the dustbin etc. You could even involve them in the cooking too by asking them to whisk the eggs for the macaroni & cheese or help cut the fruit for the fruit salad. Remember that the more the child is involved in the process, the more they want to take on more responsibility and this improves their self-confidence.

2. Allow children to do things by themselves.

Maria Montessori believed that we rob the child of learning if we are constantly doing everything for them. As parents or teachers, we need to be patient and allow the child to try, even if they make a mess or take a long time to do it.

3. Don’t interrupt the child.

Children learn through repetition and it is very important that we do not stand in the way of their development by interrupting a child while they are concentrating on a task. The only way to build up a child’s concentration span is by letting them exercise it without interruption.

4. Allow your child the freedom of choice within boundaries.

A nice idea is to have three or four outfits on a child-sized shelf in their room so that your child can choose which outfit they would like to wear. Prepare the room so that they can reach their toys easily and do not need to rely on adult assistance. Make sure that all the toys in the child’s room are complete and without missing pieces. If toys are broken or incomplete they should be removed from your child’s room.

5. Make sure that your child only works with one activity at a time.

If they want to choose another activity then they first need to tidy up and return the material back to its place before choosing something else. A child has an innate need for order so we should keep their environment as attractive and orderly as possible so that they will be drawn to work with the activities. Children will not want to stay in an environment that is messy and contains many broken or misplaced toys, as this offers little or no learning. Make sure that your child tidies their own environment each day.