The Montessori approach is a powerful antidote to the negative consequences of much of the challenges facing children and families today. Here are a few of the ways the program instills confidence in young children.
Learning
Your child's education isn't
only important for his or her knowledge and capability. Learning to do things
for oneself, from dressing oneself and potty training at an early age to
educational projects as a child approaches school age, helps kids to feel more
confident in themselves. That's why an early education program is so important
for your child's growth, even as early as a year or two old.
Independence
The Montessori program is
centered around the goal of fostering independence in children, which in turn
promotes confidence. The work cycle allows children to pursue self-directed learning within some structure, helping children stay focused and on task while
encouraging creativity and free thinking. This combination of hands-on learning
and freedom of exploration, ultimately ending with the successful achievement
of their goals, helps children to feel good about their accomplishments -- a
basic building block of confidence.
Peer
Teaching
Another hallmark of the
Montessori program is the way it encourages older, more experienced children to
teach and support the younger, less experienced kids. Traditionally, Montessori
programs had mixed-age groupings that gave the older kids plenty of
opportunities to help the younger ones learn new skills; however, even in
modern classrooms where the children are often closer in age, the self-directed
work environment still encourages the more capable kids to help those less
experienced. The experience of children helping one another encourage
confidence in both the teacher, who practices and demonstrates his or her
competence, but also the child who is being helped by a peer to learn a new
skill.
Self-Direction
Children thrive not only when
they succeed, but especially when they succeed at something they want to do.
Their joy at getting a gold star on a routine worksheet may be fleeting, but
when they achieve something they did by choice and were genuinely interested
in, they gain a much greater sense of accomplishment. The Montessori method,
with its extended work cycle and self-directed learning, gives children
opportunities to make choices about what and how they learn, ultimately
providing many more opportunities for building true confidence.Confidence is a valuable trait that helps our children navigate school, peer relationships, and the world around them. For more information about how our program helps instill confidence in our young students, contact Day Star Montessori today for a tour of our Montessori school.
