Is There a Right Way to Use Montessori Principles in Your Home?

The right way to use Montessori principles in your home is the way that’s right for you and your family. The name “Montessori” hasn’t been protected by trademark, which is both good and bad when it comes to Montessori schools. When it comes to your own home, it’s only good.

You have the freedom to use ideas from Montessori education where they will work best for your family and home. There’s a blog called The Montessori Child at Home that gives a glimpse into homes in which parents are incorporating Montessori principles.

Here are a few examples of Montessori principles applied at home:

A low hook for a child’s coat with a basket on a shelf for the child’s hats and mittens helps him have a sense of independence.

A low shelf in the child’s closet is organized with two sets of clothes, giving him independence and freedom of choice without an overwhelming number of choices.

A child’s low bedroom shelf is neatly organized so he can develop and maintain a sense of order while easily seeing and reaching his toys.

A low shelf is provided for a child’s activities in the family’s living room.

A low shelf in a cupboard has been organized with the tools a child needs to prepare food or set the table for dinner.

A windowsill is prepared so a child can care for her environment by watering seedlings for the family’s garden.

The most important points to remember are to encourage your child’s sense of order, concentration, coordination, and independence. Anything you can do to encourage those attributes is using Montessori principles in the right way.

How have you used Montessori principles in your home?

Photo Credits: Cynthia Dyer / CC BY-NC-ND 2.5