Montessori kindergarten is full of engaging activities that help your little one start exploring the world. Many of those activities are designed to teach children practical life skills.
But there’s no reason why you, as a parent, can’t contribute to your child’s development in the same way. By working with your kindergartener at home, you can teach them skills that will serve them well for the rest of their life. Here are five skills to start with.
1. Folding and Organizing Clothing
You probably fold and put away laundry without even thinking about it. When you have a lifetime of practice, folding and organizing seem like simple and mundane tasks. But for a kindergarten student, it’s a new challenge.
When kids practice folding clothes in Montessori kindergarten, they first work with a specially marked cloth to help them learn to fold with precision. Soon, it just becomes second nature.
If you wish, you can take a cloth or an old T-shirt and create these markings for your child. Alternatively, you can ask them to help next time you fold and put away laundry. When kids know how to fold clothing and put it in its proper place, they’ll be better equipped to take care of both themselves and their environments.
2. Pouring and Measuring Ingredients
This is another skill that adults can do without really thinking about it. However, you probably had to learn how to use a measuring cup at some point.
When you teach your child how to measure out liquids and solids, you’re helping them learn to care for themselves. Whether they’re baking something, preparing a meal, or feeding a pet, being able to measure is an essential skill.
3. Basic Personal Hygiene
Whether they’re in a Montessori kindergarten or a traditional classroom, young children need to start learning about hygiene early on. Don’t be afraid to start small. Here are a few age-appropriate things to practice:
- Learning when to wash hands
- Mastering the right technique for washing hands
- Learning how to cover sneezes and coughs
- Learning how to brush teeth
Kids are naturally curious, and they love learning how things work. Talk to them about why it’s important to wash their hands, cover sneezes, and complete other hygiene tasks — both for their own health and the health of others.
4. Basic Cleaning
Your kindergartener doesn’t need to know how to deep-clean a room. However, when you teach them early on that they need to clean up after themselves, they’ll internalize those skills. Here are some age-appropriate cleaning tasks for your kindergartener to practice:
- Putting away their toys once they’re done playing
- Washing and putting away their dishes (make sure to use child-safe dish soap)
- Dusting or wiping down tables and other surfaces
Many kids understandably don’t love doing chores. But if you treat doing chores together as a fun bonding experience, your little one will develop positive associations with keeping their environment clean.
5. Written Communication
Kindergarten students practice communicating with their peers every day. However, they don’t always practice written communication like they do spoken communication. Help your kindergartener learn to write thank-you notes, short postcards, or even short messages for their friends.
Prepare Your Child for Life With a Montessori Education
As a parent, you play a key role in preparing your kindergartener for life. If you choose Montessori, your child will advance through Practical Life activities; they will practice caring for themselves, for their environments, and more. At Flagstaff Montessori, our Westside Campus is centered on the needs of preschool and kindergarten students. If you want to learn more or are ready to enroll, reach out to us today to schedule a tour.