Choosing where to send your child to kindergarten is a big decision that is deserving of careful thought and research.
In order to know if you’re making the right choice, you should learn everything about the school you choose, from its curriculum to its policies to its teaching philosophies — right down to the activities the teachers have their students do on a daily basis.
If you were to look into a Montessori kindergarten, you might be surprised to find how different some of our daily activities can be from those in most other kindergartens.
These activities highlight many of the core beliefs about education that form the foundation of the Montessori approach. Take a look at some of them and see if they fit with your personal parenting philosophies.
Folding
Folding things seems like a simple, almost mindless activity to most adults, but that’s because they’ve spent their whole lives doing it.
For kindergarten students, folding can actually be quite tricky. Because of this, it presents a great challenge that has some practical value. In Montessori kindergartens, children learn how to fold with care and precision using a specially marked cloth.
Organizing Clothing
Learning how to fold can then be applied to a skill that will prove to be quite useful in the real world: organizing clothing. Children will be taught how to keep their rooms and their garments neat and organized by folding and hanging clothes, pairing socks and gloves, and more.
This activity will help students to learn about organization, taking care of themselves, and taking care of their environment.
Lock and Key
Lock and key is a simple but effective activity for helping children to start gaining some independence while also developing fine motor skills. During this activity, children will lock and unlock padlocks of various sizes using keys.
This activity serves as an early form of puzzle solving and results in a sense of satisfaction similar to the feeling of solving a more complicated puzzle.
Basic Cleaning
Another way Montessori kindergarten students learn how to take care of their environment is through simple cleaning activities. Some common ones are washing the window, dusting, sweeping, table scrubbing, polishing, and watering plants.
While all of these activities help children learn the value of a well-maintained living space, they also help them develop fine motor skills.
Grace and Courtesy Activities
Montessori education puts a special emphasis on developing good manners in students. Activities focusing on manners are classified as “grace and courtesy” activities. They include teaching children how to greet people, say please and thank you, answer a phone, politely interrupt someone who is preoccupied, and wait in line.
Interested in Learning More?
If you’d like to know more about the kinds of activities that take place in a Montessori kindergarten, reach out to Montessori School of Flagstaff today! We’ll be happy to answer all of your questions.