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Homeschool Montessori – Educating Your Child the Right Way at Home
Montessori homeschooling is a homeschooling approach for a child’s early educational learning. The idea of setting up a homeschool Montessori is getting increasingly popular with more and more parents dedicating their time to their children’s education and development.
Montessori homeschooling is a non-traditional approach to early education that’s centered on your child. A child directs the entire learning process. The role of parents is merely that of facilitators, making the essential learning tools and resources available.
A child is allowed to learn at their own pace and develop to the best of their ability. Montessori homeschooling encourages optimal learning in a child by encouraging the children to explore, be creative, and discover, not through the methods of the book, but at a pace that suits them best.
Many people may assume a homeschool Montessori to be a replication of what a Montessori classroom looks like. There are numerous misconceptions associated with Montessori homeschooling.
If you’re interested in setting up a homeschool Montessori and adopting the Montessori approach to teach your child at home, this blog post is just for you. I’ve discussed everything about Montessori homeschooling and setting up a homeschool Montessori that you must familiarize yourself with well in advance.
Correcting the Misconceptions About Homeschool Montessori
It’s best to clear the air regarding certain misconceptions associated with the Montessori homeschooling concept to be better able to understand how this learning approach makes your child the boss. Let’s have a look at what Montessori homeschooling really is.
You Don’t Always Go by the Book
One of the most common misconceptions about the homeschool Montessori approach is that it requires a hefty load of lesson planning. While this might sound logical, it’s not the case.
Like I said, Montessori homeschooling isn’t anything like traditional Montessori education, where teachers have lengthy planners and comprehensive lessons in line. Instead, parents go with the flow at a homeschool Montessori. They don’t always have a planned lesson for the day.
Montessori homeschooling encourages the parents to observe what interests their child shows and seize the opportunity at the right time. You go with the flow. You sense and judge what your child wants to do, and that’s what you let them do – with your intervention and lessons based on their interests.
You Spend More Time Outdoor than Indoor
One of the major aspects of setting up a homeschool Montessori is to make loads of outdoor space available where you and your child can enjoy outdoor Montessori activities.
The Montessori homeschooling approach involves spending more time outdoor than inside a traditional classroom environment. Children can learn more when they’re left in an unstructured play setting as compared to what they learn sitting inside a classroom.
Montessori homeschooling isn’t only playtime. Outdoor activities and Montessori learning work hand-in-hand; it’s just that the outdoor playtime is a lot more. Extended playtime also provides an opportunity for the parents to strengthen their bond with their children. It’s a win-win situation for both the parents and children.
There is No School Timing
Montessori homeschooling isn’t limited to the usual 8 am to 2 pm. When you’re teaching your child at home, the whole day is a school day. I don’t mean you’ve got to keep your child glued to their books. Instead, you teach your child different concepts as you go through the day. You don’t segregate your day into school time and home time. It’s just how Montessori homeschooling is.
For example, you can tell them that the color of egg yolk is yellow while your child eats their breakfast. Or you could tell your child to count the spoons for you while they help you set the table for lunch. This way, your child doesn’t feel education is being imposed on them and, therefore, learns more.
Homeschool Parents aren’t the Same as Homeschool Teachers
A homeschool teacher is a regular teacher who teaches a group of children at home. However, homeschool Montessori parents aren’t anything like homeschool teachers, even though they typically teach their children.
Parents are parents before anything else. The way parents would behave with their children would be entirely different from how a teacher would behave with their students.
The way parents would present information and guide their children would also be very different. Homeschool Montessori parents would be with their child throughout the day – and night, so they really don’t have to limit the study hours.
It’s Not as Costly as Regular Montessori Schooling
Setting up a homeschool Montessori for your child isn’t as costly as sending your child to a physical Montessori. Although there will be an initial setup cost, it’s more affordable in the long run.
Montessori homeschooling is extremely flexible, and it can be adapted and adjusted any way a parent likes, making this early education approach affordable for parents of all income levels.
Setting Up a Homeschool Montessori
Now that you know Montessori homeschooling isn’t all that you thought it was, you may be interested to know how to set up a homeschool Montessori. Well, it’s not that hard. Let’s have a look at how you can establish a homeschool Montessori that makes the learning experience for your child wholesome and rewarding.
Choose the Right Space
Choosing the right space is the most important thing. If you wish to set up a homeschool Montessori, you’ll have to dedicate a room for it. If not a room, you’ll have to empty a large area of a room to make space for shelves, desks, and ample space for your child to play around.
Setting up the Space
You may want to make the Montessori space colorful and bold; it’s best to keep the space simple and functional. The more you fill your Montessori space, the more difficult it will be for your child to move around. It may also come in the way of your child’s learning.
The only essentials you need to add to your homeschool Montessori are a small table and chair for your child, low-lying shelves that your child can reach easily, and a floor mat where your child can sprawl on during playtime.
Organizing the Homeschool Montessori
It’s extremely important to keep everything in your homeschool Montessori organized. Everything must have a dedicated place, and everything should be in its place.
All the Montessori homeschool equipment must be organized into specific areas like culture area, sensory area, practical life area, language area, math area, etc.
Learning material specific to the learning area must be present there. For example, you can set up a play kitchen in the practical life area and numbered blocks in the math area. This would prevent confusion in your child and encourage the sense of keeping things organized.
Add Some Distractions
Screen time, be it on a mobile phone or television, is a no-no in homeschool Montessori. These are the distractions that will only hinder your child’s learning process.
However, you should add some non-tech distractions to your homeschool Montessori that can play a role in your child’s learning and discovery. Add paintings, live plants, non-breakable sculptures, maps, etc., on an eye level that your child can easily observe.
If there’s a window in the room, keep it open so that your child can peak outdoors and develop a visual interest in elements of nature. You never know what may inspire the little brains that you’re nurturing.
Extend Your Homeschool Montessori
One thing about homeschool Montessori learning is that you can’t limit the learning space to your in-home classroom. Homeschool Montessori encourages parents to extend their learning space and allow the entire house to permeate the homeschool Montessori approach.
It includes factors as simple as installing the towel rails and toothpaste holders low enough for your child to fetch themselves, including child-sized broom and mop in your cleaning cupboards, etc. Like I said earlier, homeschool Montessori isn’t limited to school hours and definitely not limited to the classroom area.
Montessori homeschooling is an educational method that encourages optimal learning for children at home. It involves one of the parents to dedicate themselves to their child’s early education fully.
If you’re planning to set up a homeschool Montessori, you’ll have to ensure that you cover all aspects of Montessori education at home to ensure your child is at the same level as other kids.
Homeschooling your child, especially a small kid, won’t come easy, but if you know how to do it right, it’s one of the finest approaches to your child’s early education.
Ashley Yeo
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