Montessori remote learning focuses on meeting the needs of each individual child. Here are some tips:
Prepare the Environment
The prepared environment is a key component of Montessori magic. It is ordered, uncluttered, clam, and filled with materials to help a child’s development. Though you may not have all the materials at home, the child can still be presented with a cleared table or desk in a quiet and well-lit room where he/she can work.
Maintain a Routine
Children thrive when there is order in the form of a routine. They love routines so much that they are deeply disturbed by disorder. Though it may be a struggle at the beginning, once established, the results of a routine are magical, and the child can function independently.
Follow the Rules
Rules are another way that help children maintain much needed order in their lives. From teacher to parent, the rules must be consistent, or you may hear the child say indignantly, “But that’s not what Ms. Xxxx said.” Your child will be given independent assignments by the teacher, so it is important to allow the child to follow the teacher’s rules.
Access to Practical Life
Montessori’s Practical Life work is key to developing a child’s concentration, coordination, independence, and internal order. If possible, create a DIY Practical Life shelf near your child’s work area. From pouring to bead stringing, dusting to using a screwdriver, these exercises will help a child remember how to be as independent as he/she was in the classroom. It might help clean the house too!
Allow for Brain Breaks
Did you know that in the Montessori classroom, a child easily works independently for up to 3 hours? In fact, breaks are independent as well as they are free to get a drink of water or use the bathroom as the need arises. They may choose to have a snack, stand up and stretch, or do an “unchallenging work” before refocusing again.
Be Patient but Firm
As with anything, change takes time for everyone to adjust. If your child is throwing a tantrum, he/she is just reacting to the current state of disorder in his/her life. Once a new routine is set, he/she will become an independent learner again, but this will require patience and firmness from the parent to succeed!