Montessori Toddler: Parenting And Helping Children From The Start To Develop Positive Discipline Methods

Montessori is a type of learning approach which is child-centric. It focuses on hands-on learning as well as activities which are directed by the children themselves. Scientifically speaking, this method is based on the developmental stages of children from the time they're born to the time they become adults. It's designed to nurture and support the interests and needs of children by giving them learning experiences which are appropriate to their current developmental stage.

Any Montessori classroom must be beautifully crafted in order to make it a suitable environment to meet the needs of children. As a teacher (or a parent) your role within this environment is to observe the children and guide them as they embark on their own developmental journey. The focus of this method is for children to lead their own learning instead of the teachers teaching them what they "must" learn. Also, another important task of Montessori teachers is to present the activities in the classroom to their children. In doing this, the children learn how to perform the activities by themselves and they have the freedom to choose which activities they want to do in the time they're given.

The beauty of Montessori classrooms is that children are allowed to choose independently, they're given the freedom to move around the room, and they are gently guided allowing them to acquire a love of learning. Children can work on their own or they can work in small groups. Either way, they make use of the educational materials in the Montessori classroom which is self-correcting. What's incredible about these materials is that they are specifically designed so that children learn one concept or skill at a time. They have a self-correcting quality which allows the children to explore the outcomes of their choices on their own and at their own individual pace.

All Montessori materials in the classroom are also designed to match the interests of different kinds of children with the five major curriculum areas which are Mathematics, Language, Practical Life, Culture, and Sensorial. In some classrooms, they also include a Music and Arts area which is also very interesting to children. Since children are given the opportunity to have experiences based on their interests, they learn and develop in the most relevant knowledge areas. The skills they acquire from their Montessori experiences assist with their emotional, physical, cognitive, and social development. So basically, the materials in the Montessori classroom teach children how to work together, self-correct, and solve problems.