Montessori Materials To Help Your Children Grow

In the Montessori approach to educating children, a different vocabulary is employed to describe what children do. Rather then playing, children work. And rather than using toys, kids utilize materials to get new knowledge and discover different elements of life on Earth. This alteration of vocabulary may require a little adjustment, but eventually, the level of awareness that leads to these changes opens up an entirely different take on how children learn and grow. Rather than viewing childhood as a time of diversion, it becomes a period of serious fun and constant development. Learning and playing are one, but it helps to stress the learning and working half of the equation lest we mistake our kids' play for foolishness.

What are children doing while they work? It depends on the materials they're using, but generally, youngsters are exploring their sensory capacities, acquiring and mastering language, growing their mathematical understandings and cultivating social awareness. All of these learnings occur side-by-side. It's impossible to separate any given action as simply contributing to a single developmental competency. This is all about holistic awareness--development of one capacity encourages many other capacities simultaneously. And the result is a rapidly growing, evolving young human being.

Tons of different materials are available to assist children in growing. Some of the best are craft materials due to the fact they promote imagination and resourcefulness. Youngsters get to generate whole worlds via their art supplies. Many materials are made of wood or fabric and enable the child to explore a huge spread of different sensations--from heavy to light, hard to soft and bright and dark. The contrasts in things lead to unique understandings, and young children guffaw excitedly as they discover all kinds of different features of the world by working with their materials.

Materials exist almost everywhere just waiting for children to uncover them. Nature is brilliant for this type of explorational experiential learning. As children move through Nature, they will be repeatedly collecting twigs and leaves and insects--and each of these elements of the natural world teaches new lessons. And children love to listen. In an era when so many children stay continually inside with eyes fixed on a TV or computer display, buck this disturbing trend by encouraging your kids to spend long stretches outside. Montessori seriously emphasizes time spent outside the house for youngsters of all ages for good reason: Nature contains numerous lessons, and the natural world is uniquely well suited for kids' natural curiosity. Not to mention the physical and mental wellness benefits that accrue from lots of time spent outdoors in the fresh air and warm sunlight.

Along with the materials that you can find or make yourself, of course, there are many other types of materials that children profit from working with. Wooden toys of all shapes and sizes are terrific options--if you have ever visited a Montessori school, you've in all likelihood seen all types of different wooden toys that the children love to play with. Wooden toys are unbelievably real--they have weight, and they take up space. They reassure children with their mass and real-world significance. Children learn to value these materials because they aren't plastic junk. High quality materials contribute amazingly to the positive development of children in almost every way.

Are you resistant to the idea that child's play can actually be serious work? Hopefully you are starting to appreciate the significance of the work children conduct. This new perspective can undoubtedly have an effect on the way you respond to your kids while they're out playing. And if you're more aware of the benefits of actual work with real materials, you will be able to equip your children much more effectively for maximum learning. Get them away from the TV and out of the house. Help your kids find some really deep work, and watch their amazing curiosity lead them on the voyage of a lifetime.

By: Matthew Findley

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Montessori materials come in all shapes and sizes, and it can be confusing for parents to figure out what's what. www.montessoritoys.com is a fantastic resource to help you identify the materials that are right for your kids.