When to start Montessori at home
How to incorporate Montessori into your home
The benefits of a Montessori education vs. other methods of early childhood education
The overall Montessori philosophy of education

Transcript

00;00;08;20 – 00;00;21;22

Dr. Mona

Welcome to this week’s episode where I am welcoming Theresa from Montessori in real life on Instagram. And we’re going to be talking all about the Montessori philosophy of education. Thank you so much for being here today, Theresa.

00;00;21;22 – 00;00;23;15

Theresa

Thank you so much for having me.

00;00;23;17 – 00;00;28;17

Dr. Mona

So tell me a little bit more about yourself and what led you to get trained in Montessori education?

00;00;28;20 – 00;00;53;16

Theresa

Yeah, so I stumbled upon Montessori right after college undergrad, when I ended up as a teacher’s assistant in a brand new Montessori toddler classroom. And I was immediately drawn to the philosophy, and it really resonated with my background in developmental psychology. And I was just amazed at how confident and happy and capable toddlers could be in this community.

00;00;53;18 – 00;01;20;02

Theresa

And at that time, I was already on my path to graduate school, and I was planning to get my PhD in developmental psychology. But Montessori was really always on my mind, and I realized after my master’s that I just couldn’t see myself in academia. So I found myself back in Montessori, and I decided to do my infant toddler teacher training, and then began working as a montessori guide.

00;01;20;05 – 00;01;22;26

Theresa

So that’s kind of how I entered the world of Montessori.

00;01;22;27 – 00;01;43;06

Dr. Mona

That’s great. I, I love the monster style of education. My son is actually in a montessori preschool right now, and I’m just so excited to do this episode because I’m a pediatrician and I do value early childhood education. But when I was actually looking into it, I obviously don’t know everything there is to know about early childhood education, right?

00;01;43;06 – 00;02;09;02

Dr. Mona

That’s not my specialty. So I’m just so grateful that we’re able to talk about this. I’m also going to have other people come on to talk about the various other styles of early childhood education, but just because so many of my followers have been asking, and I found your Instagram account from one of my followers, I figured this would be such a great time to talk about this, and it’s just so great that you use your training from development to psychology and bridge that with the Montessori, philosophy.

00;02;09;04 – 00;02;17;15

Dr. Mona

Tell me more about the Montessori philosophy of education. Like what are the basic principles that you would want to tell? You know, all of our parents who are listening.

00;02;17;18 – 00;02;43;00

Theresa

This is always the hardest thing for me to do, but, I’m going to draw on a quote from Maria montessori. That says education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words, but by experiences in the environment. And I just love this quote because it captures the essence of what makes Montessori different than other traditional methods of education.

00;02;43;03 – 00;03;10;00

Theresa

Babies and toddlers especially learn best through all their senses, which happens when they’re given the opportunity to explore freely inside and outside. And the emphasis on this natural process of learning is so key. Babies and young children are innately curious and self-motivated. Our job as adults is to keep that natural interest and love of learning alive for as long as possible.

00;03;10;02 – 00;03;31;16

Theresa

And we do this by following their interests and offering gentle guidance to foster independence and confidence, rather than teaching just by telling. So when we respect children for who they are and where they’re at individually, they learn early on to also respect others and their environment.

00;03;31;19 – 00;03;44;23

Dr. Mona

Oh, that’s so great. And I know you obviously are trained in the Montessori style of education, but do you see that there are just are other benefits that the maybe the Montessori method would have that other methods of early childhood education don’t?

00;03;44;27 – 00;04;12;01

Theresa

I do. I mean, the list goes on for me, and I, I’m a little biased, but one benefit I see is that children learn to care for themselves, others, and their environment at a really early age. So there’s a strong sense of both community and personal responsibility in Montessori. We see this through what we call practical life activities, which are the everyday tasks that keep our day flowing smoothly.

00;04;12;08 – 00;04;41;18

Theresa

For example, toddlers serving themselves, snack or rinsing dishes, putting on their shoes and coats or even arranging flowers for the table. And these small activities are very intentional and Montessori. They’re giving toddlers those opportunities to do these tasks, which give them a sense of belonging and meaningful contribution. And toddlers just find joy in this process of helping as much or more than the actual finished product.

00;04;41;20 – 00;05;12;15

Theresa

And not only are they learning how to care for themselves in their environment, but they’re learning how to plan ahead and how to follow multiple steps, how to coordinate and refine their movements, big and small. And they’re stretching their attention spans to concentrate on detailed tasks. So there’s just so much to those practical life activities. And then one other benefit I see, which is very relevant in our house right now, is how Montessori encourages intrinsic motivation over external rewards.

00;05;12;16 – 00;05;41;06

Theresa

So potty learning is is one thing happening in our home. And I see in a lot of more traditional methods that parents use incentives or educators to help potty train. So things like sticker charts or candy. And in Montessori, it’s quite different. We switch to our toddlers wearing thick underwear between 14 and 18 months, because this is a time that children are actually most naturally interested in using the toilet and ready to.

00;05;41;09 – 00;06;01;01

Theresa

And so we let them learn how to use the potty by simply noticing the feeling of being wet, and then feeling proud to have used the toilet just because that’s what their parents and adults do. Along with that natural reward of being comfortable and dry. So those are a couple of differences that I could note.

00;06;01;03 – 00;06;22;17

Dr. Mona

I love that I actually already started to see a lot of that in the preschool that Ryan’s, and he’s been in the school for about three weeks now, and he’s in an infant class, meaning they have 18 plus, 18 month plus. And then they have, infants up to 18 months of age. But you’re right, like the way that they are, you know, like you’re talking about arranging the flowers and, taking off the shoes.

00;06;22;17 – 00;06;37;20

Dr. Mona

I mean, from a young age, being able to teach a child that is so cool to see. And children are capable of learning this. Do you feel like this method benefits one type of temperament of a child? Or do you think all children can technically thrive in Montessori style of education?

00;06;37;27 – 00;07;06;08

Theresa

I truly believe, Montessori is for every child. I do think it requires the support of the family. That can be the harder, the harder part. But I do believe it’s for every child, because Montessori focuses on following each child and where they’re at individually. So Montessori can be really great for all kinds of children. The predictable routine helps children feel secure and confident.

00;07;06;11 – 00;07;31;22

Theresa

Freedom of movement is great for kids who need to move around a lot, and it also allows children to work on gross motor skills at their own pace. And then choices to work independently or in small groups allow children to play in whatever way kind of allows them to feel most comfortable. And lastly, with hands on materials that engage all of those senses, there’s always something in the classroom that interests everyone.

00;07;31;29 – 00;07;39;07

Theresa

So with the individuality and choices, I really think any child kind of finds what draws them in.

00;07;39;10 – 00;08;00;16

Dr. Mona

And one of the biggest things that I found difficult, was it was in the United States, and I have heard also internationally, too. One of my followers is actually in Italy. And she said that the Montessori style of education comes with a big price tag. Especially the preschools, right. If you look in different areas, why do you feel like this may come with that price tag?

00;08;00;16 – 00;08;01;26

Dr. Mona

And do you think that’s worth it?

00;08;01;29 – 00;08;33;25

Theresa

Yeah, I do think it’s worth it. Yeah. I think traditional Montessori materials for any age are expensive. Montessori emphasizes high quality and beautiful materials. And by materials I mean furniture or tools or toys, which we call work. And those do tend to be wood rather than plastic. However, there are so many resell groups and dyes, especially lately online, that make it cheaper for parents to acquire these materials for their infants and toddlers and even older children.

00;08;33;27 – 00;08;56;01

Theresa

But if you are buying all new materials, such as for a classroom, that can really add up. The other thing that makes schools more expensive sometimes is that, the training of the teachers. So all Montessori lead teachers, regardless of their academic credentials, must receive their Montessori certification and complete an internship. So that does add a cost.

00;08;56;03 – 00;09;21;08

Theresa

However, I have heard from other parents that other types of preschools are kind of a similar price tag. I feel like it’s a it’s a preschool kind of thing right now. Yeah. But there are more programs to help Montessori education be more accessible for all. And, the last thing I’ll say is that I do think implementation of the Montessori philosophy at home really doesn’t have to be expensive at all.

00;09;21;11 – 00;09;28;07

Theresa

There are so many ways to incorporate Montessori in your home without spending much at all, and this can start as early as birth.

00;09;28;07 – 00;09;47;27

Dr. Mona

And your account, Montessori in real life, which I’m going to attach to the show notes. I love, by the way, especially being a fan of early childhood development because you, like you said, bring the Montessori education to people’s homes. Which is awesome. Now, the other comment that I had was you focus. Obviously on 0 to 3.

00;09;48;01 – 00;10;12;08

Dr. Mona

I found, and I’m not sure if you also agree, that a lot of preschools in my area, in from what Frances said that a lot of Montessori preschools in real life, don’t take children that young, usually start as early as two. Not a lot of preschools do. So young. Do you think that they should go a little bit younger, or why do you think that is that many preschools maybe do a little bit older?

00;10;12;10 – 00;10;14;01

Theresa

Yeah, it depends on the area.

00;10;14;05 – 00;10;14;19

Dr. Mona

Yeah.

00;10;14;25 – 00;10;40;21

Theresa

You know, parents, there’s not as much of a demand at times. Other reasons are that it’s really expensive to open up an infant or toddler Montessori program. Just with the materials and the need for more teachers, with hygiene issues, it’s a lot harder to and more expensive to open a smaller, class for smaller children than for two and a half and up.

00;10;40;21 – 00;10;58;14

Theresa

There’s different rules based on the state. And I also just think, you know, more people are aware of Montessori for primary age that 3 to 6. So I think we we’ll see more and more infant toddler Montessori programs popping up, especially post-pandemic.

00;10;58;16 – 00;11;15;22

Dr. Mona

Oh, absolutely. I think it’s, it’s a great philosophy. And like I said, I’m just so glad that we were able to talk about this because I think many people just don’t understand what the principles are. Like you said, and again, on your account, you go through parenting tips like you just mentioned about the potty training stuff, right?

00;11;15;29 – 00;11;29;11

Dr. Mona

That is obviously part of that philosophy. This is a whole parenting education philosophy. What are some ways that parents can bring the elements of Montessori education to their homes, like you talk about on your Instagram page?

00;11;29;14 – 00;11;51;21

Theresa

Yeah. Well, like you mentioned, a big piece of bringing Montessori into the home isn’t the materials themselves, but how we parent respectfully. And this is definitely something I’ve learned over time from going from teacher to parent that just how much of Montessori isn’t about the stuff at all. You know, Montessori at home looks like following our child’s pace and interests.

00;11;51;22 – 00;12;16;10

Theresa

It means letting them show us what their needs and interests are versus us making assumptions for them. You know, often parents are so concerned about the right toys when really all toddlers want to do is move their bodies. And so giving, you know, young children that space and tools to explore their bodies limits is actually a big piece of Montessori in the first three years.

00;12;16;13 – 00;12;47;12

Theresa

This might include a picture, triangle or steps for climbing up and down, or a heavy wagon, or jugs of water to carry, or even different textures in nature, such as walking barefoot on sand and rocks and grass and just getting those, those experiences with their body. Another way that I share a lot on my Instagram and blog, how we incorporate Montessori at home is by promoting independence at home, by making things accessible for young children.

00;12;47;14 – 00;13;16;18

Theresa

There’s so many ways to do this, such as low hooks for coats or step stools for helping you know them, learn how to get dressed themselves, sink extenders for washing hands, low mirrors for washing their face, and, a favorite as a kitchen helper in the kitchen so they can help cook meals. So all of those things are just giving them access to the tasks they see us doing, and they want to join so much.

00;13;16;20 – 00;13;43;19

Theresa

We can just incorporate them in all of those types of, you know, what we call chores at home and toddlers think are the most fun, such as sorting silverware in a drawer or folding claws or even transferring laundry. Swift. Serene. So all of those things are activities that feel like chores, but that toddlers love to do at home and are very much consider, you know, Montessori practical life.

00;13;43;21 – 00;14;00;15

Dr. Mona

And I imagine that this actually might really help with tantrums. I know toddlers are still going to throw tantrums, but when we can incorporate them into the things that we’re doing and rather than saying no, no, no, you can’t do this, but finding a way to make it more, like you said, accessible to them, would you think that that has helped a lot in tantrums for your kids, too?

00;14;00;22 – 00;14;20;28

Theresa

Oh, definitely. I mean, all kids throw tantrums. So there’s but yeah, often, you know, I have to do something like fold some laundry. And the choice is, you know, oh, you can come help me, or you can play by yourself for a few minutes and often, you know, they start and want to fold a few or fold and quotation marks, you know, a few towels.

00;14;20;28 – 00;14;30;09

Theresa

And then they kind of move on. And so rather than say no, it’s offering those simple choices and letting them be involved with you in whatever way makes sense.

00;14;30;11 – 00;14;39;09

Dr. Mona

Oh, that is so great. What are some examples by age? To allow a child these practical life experiences that a parent can do at home?

00;14;39;12 – 00;15;03;16

Theresa

Yeah. So by 12 months, I mean, I like to base more on whether they’re standing or walking, but when they’re standing confidently, let’s say at 12 months they could be in a kitchen helper or a step stool, you know, watching you cook. Or they could be helping mix or even just, you know, they could be drinking from an open cup at their table.

00;15;03;17 – 00;15;38;12

Theresa

So just self-feeding itself is a practical life activity. We introduce forks by a year and open cups by ten months. So those types of things, by 18 months, they could be chopping banana for a snack and pouring water from a pitcher, or getting water from a small dispenser, a large dispenser. They could be transferring, you know, snack onto a plate, and then by 24 months, they could be setting the table for snack and serving themselves.

00;15;38;12 – 00;15;52;07

Theresa

And maybe their sibling snack together. They could be arranging flowers in a vase to bring to the table for tea. They could be pouring tea. So there’s so much that they’re capable, even at that toddler age.

00;15;52;09 – 00;16;12;05

Dr. Mona

And I think this is so great for people to hear that. Like you said, they are capable, and it just has a lot to do with us showing them and fostering that interest. Because I agree, I think toddlers are capable of learning so much. And they also want to learn and they also want to be independent and show that they can do something and that, you know, they’re learning a new skill.

00;16;12;05 – 00;16;19;08

Dr. Mona

So it’s just so great hearing all of your tips. What would be your final message to parents listening?

00;16;19;11 – 00;16;42;25

Theresa

I would just say that it’s never too early or too late to implement Montessori at home. I get the question a lot. Wondering if it’s too late, and I think it’s important to keep in mind that most families don’t discover Montessori until their child starts in a primary classroom around age three. And at the same time, if you’re expecting or have a newborn, it’s not too early either.

00;16;42;27 – 00;16;54;19

Theresa

Even from birth, we encourage freedom of movement and a respectful way of parenting that promotes autonomy and concentration and that joy of learning for the years to come.

00;16;54;21 – 00;17;03;14

Dr. Mona

Oh, that’s so great. And where can everyone find you? For more information. I know you said you had a blog and your Instagram.

00;17;03;16 – 00;17;28;19

Theresa

Yeah, I have lots of resources and ideas for incorporating Montessori at home with little ones on my blog. Montessori in Real life.com. And then my friend and business partner Bridget and I also launched the Montessori Guide two years ago, which offers month by month, advice and guidance about how to set up montessori activities and materials for your child from birth to three years and even older.

00;17;28;21 – 00;17;36;26

Theresa

And then we also are now offering a montessori parents course all about how to be a prepared Montessori parent. No materials needed.

00;17;36;29 – 00;17;52;26

Dr. Mona

Oh, that’s so great. And I will add all of this information to my show notes, including her Instagram as well as her website. So for any of you who are interested, I hope you do take a look. It’s just nice that they offer this so that it can be brought to your home as well. Theresa, thank you so much for joining me.

00;17;52;27 – 00;18;04;19

Dr. Mona

I learned so much also because like I said, I love the Montessori style, but it’s just so nice to hear more about the philosophy. At the same time, seeing my son in it too. So thank you again for joining us.

00;18;04;21 – 00;18;07;01

Theresa

Yeah, thank you so much.

00;18;07;01 – 00;18;12;16

Dr. Mona

Thank you for tuning. In for this week’s episode. As always, please leave a review. Share this episode with a friend.

00;18;12;16 – 00;18;14;03

Dr. Mona

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00;18;14;06 – 00;18;21;28

Dr. Mona

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