Following the child is the center of Montessori education. You can use the Montessori principle of following the child to help yourself as a parent, support person, and/or educator – whether you’re planning curriculum or buying gifts for a child.
Here are 3 Montessori-inspired questions that will help you be sure you’re observing and following the child:
1. What is the child interested in?
2. What does the child need?
3. Is there a hands-on way to present this?
Of course, you may come up with sub-questions in the process, such as how you can help meet the child’s need for independence. But, for the most part, you simply need to observe the child and use those 3 questions to help yourself truly do what’s best for a child.
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Just when I needed something you provide me an idea!
Thanks!
That’s so sweet, Cassie! Thank you, thank you, thank you! 🙂
Love this idea, Deb. I think another question could be “how can I allow my child to lead this activity without my intervening?”
Thanks, Marnie! That’s a great question, too. So many activities can and should be done without adult intervention. 🙂
These are the principal point I have decided to follow with Pinky after she started preschool and now a Montessori School. There’s no way for me to provide her with all the things I would like but following her interests make everything so easy. Now I don’t have to brainstorm making up a “curriculum” that at the end I won’t have time to follow or she is not interested at all. Plus I am seeing that she is more open to ask me about her things: “Mommy, can we study about this….or that…? Great post!
Thanks for your kind comment, Airamty! I love the approach you’re using with Pinky! It’s great for so many types of learning and absolutely perfect for afterschooling. 🙂
Just found your site via a Re-Tweet over on Twitter and this article is so timely for our family! My wife and I were just talking about our observations with our oldest daughter and how we need to pay attention to really see if she’s getting what she needs in the activities we’re doing with her.
Your first point around interest seems so obvious but I think we all tend to blast right past it. We do the things we think we should be doing with them at a given point in development or do what’s often times easier for us. Oh the mistakes we’ve made!
Thankfully we’re getting this back on track early. If they are truly interested they will be happier, morning learning happens, and our sanity stays preserved. Win for all!
Thanks for your comment, Gary! It’s wonderful that you and your wife are connecting and communicating about such an important topic. Wishing the best for you and your family. 🙂
Thanks for these! I love the simplicty of them, yet they make a powerful message. I’m going to use them at my next teacher’s meeting, good reminders for us all.
Peace, Kelly
Thanks so much, Kelly! I love that you’re going to use them at your teacher’s meeting! 🙂
Those are questions that never get old, even for the older child and teen. Sure they can handle more abstract things, so the hands-on becomes less essential (though still sometimes useful), but trying to discern our children’s true interests and needs is always the beginning of effective parenting.
Thanks, Mary! I still focus on my adult children’s interests and needs when they ask my opinion about something. 🙂
This is a great reminder for me! You have sparked some thought provoking notes here! Thank You Deb! 🙂
Thanks, Rachel! I’m so glad my post was helpful. 🙂