Lending a helping hand

A Montessori child develops a lot of personality traits, which stay with them for life. One such quality is helping others when needed. If you have a child in a Montessori environment, you’d be aware of the concept of mixed age-grouping. Younger children often take older ones to be role models of sorts. They see how/what the older children are doing and then try to follow suit. This is a development we as directresses and guides are aware of. Last year, came as an eye-opener for me personally, as I witnessed each day, how beautifully it worked on developing children’s social skills.

There are so many instances, that re-enforce my belief in this beautiful Montessori Method. Older children assisting younger ones to work with a particular material. Children reading to another child, helping others with their snacks or with winding up their work, reminding them politely about rules, etc. These incidents often take place without us requesting or telling the older children to do so.

One thing which clearly stands out is that older (or helping children) know when to help and how to help. They always seek permission before helping and don’t force themselves on the other children. They also know when to help and at what moment to step back.

Children understand some people need help in a situation, they might be able to assist them… what they also know is before lending a helping hand, the other person should be willing to accept help… it comes naturally to children. The community like setting of a Montessori helps children develop all this and much more.

- Falak

Comments

Montessori: Choosing the Right School

Choosing the Right Montessori for your Child It is an extremely daunting task to choose the right Montessori for your child. Fortunately, Bangalore is buzzing with Montessori Houses of Children around the city. There are a few problems associated with the same as well. The term “Montessori” has now become an adjective to attract parents. There are some great Montessori schools out there and a few which have attached the term Montessori for namesake. Before you decide you’d be choosing a Montessori, you will have to do two things: You have to ask yourself a question: Is the Montessori Method right for you and your family? As Montessori is a way of life, you have to be certain you understand and agree with the same. The first step wouldn’t be complete if you don’t understand the method, hence you have to take out sometime and understand the Montessori Method. To choose the right Montessori you have to 'e xperience it' and then take your decision. You can lo...

Celebrations and Festivals in Montessori

Ours is a land of diversity and that is the beauty of our country. The harmony and love with which a large part of our society lives, embracing all the uniqueness and differences is what makes India truly amazing. We have so many customs, festivals and rituals in our country. We should should help our child be a part of these celebrations. Montessori is a method which is extremely adaptable and embraces all rituals. In a Montessori, festivals and holidays form an integral part of our cultural curriculum. For us, festivals are cultural celebrations and not religious. Children focus on traditions and rituals while celebrating. When we celebrate a festival, its about the customs, the clothes and the traditional food. As a Montessori school, Ayelet believes in celebrating all holidays with equal enthusiasm. We try to avoid accepting one and ignoring another important festival. All festivals hold equal importance for us. We share stories and ev...

Developing independence in children

If your child goes to a Montessori school, you would know, one thing which sets them apart is their independent streak. One of the most common question parents at Ayelet ask “How to ensure we don’t kill that spirit of independence?” Some parents also complain that children are too independent and don’t understand when parents are in a hurry. The 2 nd situation only arises when parents are in a rush. Let’s deal with the 2 nd situation first, if you know you’re in a hurry tell your children so, that’ll help them prepare in advance. Young children don’t understand rush/hurrying. Fostering independence in children is something we work at Ayelet every single day, as parents there are a few things you can involve children as young as toddlers/preschoolers with: Let them set their own table for meals, once finished keep their own dish back in the kitchen. After play, children can clean up their rooms. Involv...

Ayelet Montessori

Search This Blog