Are you planning to homeschool your children? Perhaps you're interested in Montessori method So far, you support freedom, respect for children, giving them choices and following their interests.
Now they're about 3 years old and you're starting to wonder how to teach the Montessori method, whether you should start buying Montessori materials and how to organize your home schooling.
Exploring the Montessori Method as a pedagogy
So far, you've studied the Montessori Method as a way to enrich your child's life at home. Perhaps you've focused on the toddler stage. You've taken inspiration from certain Instagram accounts (including mine) and focused on Montessori principles to inform your parenting.
Now is the time to understand Montessori as an educational approach and pedagogy. Although you don't need to be trained as a Montessori educator to use the Montessori method at home, we recommend that you immerse yourself in this method to understand it and make sure it's right for your family.
Recommended books written by Maria Montessori :
- The spirit of absorption
- The Montessori method
- Conferences in London
- The secret of childhood
Find out more about the Montessori program and materials
While it's not necessary to buy all the materials and master all the presentations, it would be a good idea to understand the 5 areas of learning, how your child progresses through the materials and what each material teaches.
Have a budget
Montessori materials are expensive. You may not have to buy them all.
You can make your own.
You can find second-hand ones. One tip would be to contact the Montessori kindergartens in your area. Many of them have duplicates or are buying new equipment and want to get rid of slightly used material.
You don't need to buy the whole kit in advance, just buy what you think you'll need for the next 6 months. Then you can save for the next step.
Montessori materials retain much of their value, so you can resell them to buy the next Montessori material you need.
If you're considering homeschooling, it's worth investing in math and language materials. Read here about the materials I recommend.
Pay attention to your time
At first, you may be highly motivated to create resources, print and laminate everything, and make the most difficult contact materials yourself.
But homeschooling is still fulfilling. So consider your time, your budget and what's really worthwhile. In fact, that's one of the goals of our Montessori box!
Just because you've chosen to homeschool doesn't mean you have to spend all your free time creating resources. You have the right to rest in the evening. Most Montessori teachers create materials during the day while the children concentrate on their work. So you can do it too! And in fact, if you do your own work, it will encourage your children to engage in their own activities.
Building community
There are so many preschool groups. Compared to when my children were small, it seems easier to get in touch with other homeschooling families.
One of the main features ofMontessori education is the vertical distribution by age group. At home, with one, two or three children, it can be difficult to reproduce this. So try to connect with other Montessori-inspired families. Organize home teaching sessions where one of you introduces certain activities to the children. It's also a way of sharing resources between several families. And your children will benefit from the presence of both younger and older children.
Find inspiration and mentors
By now, you may have followed some testimonials from young children, testimonials that show more "hands-on activities" and "wooden toys". I invite you to find testimonials with older children, with children who are already well into Montessori homeschooling.
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