Modern Montessori Mom

Implementing Montessori with toddlers builds on the basic principles of the Montessori approach while adapting them to the unique needs and abilities of 1 to 3 year olds. A Montessori toddler environment, whether at home or in a classroom, is designed to be safe, nurturing, and stimulating. Children are encouraged to explore and interact with their environment while still being closely supervised. The physical space is carefully prepared for accessibility for the child and contains developmentally appropriate materials and activities designed to promote independence, concentration, and self-discipline. Some key principles and activities that can be applied to Montessori at home with a toddler include: Provide a prepared environment: In Montessori, the environment is an important factor in the child's development. For a toddler, this means creating a visually interesting and child-sized environment that is conducive to exploration and discovery. This might involve setting up a low s...

In the Montessori approach, it is believed that concentration plays a critical role in a child's development. Concentration is the ability to focus one's attention on a particular task or activity for an extended period of time. Montessorians believe that concentration is essential for learning, and that a child who can concentrate is more likely to learn deeply and retain information for longer periods of time. The Montessori approach encourages the development of concentration in a number of ways. One key way is by providing children with engaging, self-directed activities that are designed to be both challenging and rewarding. The Montessori materials and activities are carefully designed to appeal to a child's natural interests and curiosity, and to provide just the right level of challenge to promote concentration and engagement. Another way that Montessori parents and educators support the development of concentration is by creating a calm, orderly environment that mi...