You explained this SO well! Wow! I absolutely love how clearly and directly explained these points. I also love that you mentioned that Dr. Montessori did not develop the toys or tools for toddler age children (that is something I did not learn for a very long time!). I absolutely agree the materials are ARE important for implementing Montessori at home. I really, really love that you talked about isolation of difficulty! Busy boards can be fun but definitely are not Montessori. And how beautiful that you noted going outside as the best sensory experience!! Love this!!
You caught me off guard with the name change there!! Thank you so much-I'm glad to hear this came across clearly 🥰 I honestly didn't remember the fact about toddler activities until a few months ago when I suddenly got curious of how one person had the time to create an entire teaching/development teaching philosophy AND all of the materials to go with them for all these age groups 🙈
@@MariaandMontessori so funny!! Finally changed the channel to my name after debating for so long! Yes you made excellent points! I also forgot to mention that I love how you distinguished between imaginative and fantasy play. This was such an honest explanation of Montessori principles. It will really help parents decide on how to implement it at home!
Great video. My son is on the spectrum and his behavioral & developmental pediatrician recommended a Montessori school. There is only a few Montessori schools near me, but most do not allow for his therapist to assist. I have been doing research, and realized that many schools claiming to be Montessori or implement Montessori principles are simply not the case where you start asking questions. Thank you for explaining about busy boards and sensory bins. I was naive and purchased a busy book for my son, but it was never something he was interested. His speech therapist does use a sensory bin with him sometimes, but it's only with one purpose. I'm glad you cleared up that this may not be for everyone. I am still researching schools and my options for next year. Hopefully, I can find a school that will meet his needs.
I'm happy to hear the information was useful! But it is heartbreaking to hear about your search for a school for your son. Even if they are unable to have the therapist in the building to assist, are they also not willing to implement any accommodations based on the therapist's feedback while your son is at the school? I know not all schools would, but some do work in tandem with the therapists to make sure the child's unique needs are met. Many schools (at least near us) also will offer a trial period, where the child can attend the school for a few days or weeks without a contract, so both the school and the family can see if this arrangement would be the right choice for the child. I do not believe this is a strictly Monteasori school approach either. I would direct you to my "Choosing a Montessori school" video, but it seems you're already well versed in finding a real Montessori school. Our area used to thankfully be surrounded by mainly authentic Montessori schools, but more and more I am seeing these fake schools pop up here as well. I hope you're able to find the right environment for your son 💗
@@MariaandMontessori Thank you for your feedback. I have a tour with a Montessori school tomorrow. I inquired if they are willing to work with his BCBA, even if they will not allow his RBT to be with him. His BCBA usually attends his preschool twice a week for 2 to 3 hours to help with observation and recommendations. His VPK teachers have been amazing. They are very willing to work with the therapists and appreciate the feedback and recommendations . The lead teacher had been teaching for over 20 years and has experience with working with special needs kiddos and having an RBT in the room. It’s a STEM school, and my son has been thriving in that environment. I have been blessed that the teachers, therapists and administrators have all been working together. Unfortunately, this school only goes up to pre-k. I’ll keep you posted if I can find a Montessori school that is accommodating. Thank you again for all the content you have posted. I started watching your videos last week and have been trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can.
@@meens2940 It sounds like that school was such an amazing fit for your son. I really do hope you find the right Montessori school for you 🤞 I'll be awaiting an update! Even if you end up in a different type of school, Montessori at home will provide immense benefits for your son as well! If there's anything you're interested in or have questions about that you're not seeing on my channel, do let me know. I'll be posting more frequently in December and want it to be useful content 🤗
Loved the explanations, really well explained on both sides of questions!! We definitely part time Montessori but only cause of our current situation, id love to be able to do it more full time and find a good Montessori school in our next city
I'm glad you found it helpful!! You're doing a wonderful job with Zander-end of the day, our kids need loving, respectful, and respectable parents, and that's exactly who he has 🤗
How long should you be spending each day on Montessori Activities with your child? Especially if they don't go to a montessori school and are in that 0-3 age range?
That is a great question. The answer will vary widely as we progress though those first 3 years. As a benchmark, in the 3-6 class, we are looking at a 3 - hour, uninterrupted work cycle. During this time, children work with the materials on the shelf, put them away, relax, have some quiet reading time, prepare a snack, have the snack, clean up after the snack, partake in practical life activities and even art. As you can see, it is very busy, but it is also filled with activities that are not purely shelf work. So jumping back into those early infancy days, as you may expect, you're very much following the child and simply letting them look at a mobile or some cards, a rattle or two in the short periods that they're awake. The main thing that is important in infancy is to keep the child free from any contraptions that limit movement as much as possible (swings, bouncers, jumpers, etc). As we inch into later infancy (past 6 months), our kiddos are able to focus more and interact with the materials in a variety of new ways. There is still not a set time that is recommended even by AMS at this age, but you can definitely aim for several minutes of focused shelf work, along with a lot of gross motor development. Personally, I exclusively pumped, so after each feeding, we had 15-20 minutes per wake window of focused work because I was tied to the pump and wall anyway. If she was really into a material, that time could stretch well beyond the 30 minute mark. By toddlerhood, the recommendation is 1-1.5 hours for the uninterrupted work cycle. Again, do remember that this can absolutely include your practical life works. Keep the materials in an easy to access spot for the child and, if they're still not pulling off materials to work on, invite them to interact with the materials frequently throughout the day. You may find your little one is incredibly focused on some materials more than others or that a specific time works best for him or her to really get intrigued and focus on the tasks at hand. I'm also working on a video for getting them focused at this age! Realistically, shelf work in toddlerhood may often take a back seat to other tasks at hand like learning to walk! This is where practical life and sensory activities will really come into play. Remember that the 1-1.5 hour work cycle also does include practical life work and a chance to just sit and read! Aim to invite the child several times throughout that time. I find it helpful to look at our time in total on a weekly basis rather than daily or per wake window. Some days she is all about the shelf work. Other days she is all about out pantry! But it is easier to see where there are gaps in practice if I reflect on it on a weekly basis. So there's not an exact number of minutes that I can give you as an answer here, but I can definitely remind you to Follow the Child and aim for 1-1.5 hour cycles to be your goal as you work through toddlerhood and start the move to 3 hour work cycles towards that 3 year benchmark!
You explained this SO well! Wow! I absolutely love how clearly and directly explained these points. I also love that you mentioned that Dr. Montessori did not develop the toys or tools for toddler age children (that is something I did not learn for a very long time!). I absolutely agree the materials are ARE important for implementing Montessori at home. I really, really love that you talked about isolation of difficulty! Busy boards can be fun but definitely are not Montessori. And how beautiful that you noted going outside as the best sensory experience!! Love this!!
You caught me off guard with the name change there!! Thank you so much-I'm glad to hear this came across clearly 🥰 I honestly didn't remember the fact about toddler activities until a few months ago when I suddenly got curious of how one person had the time to create an entire teaching/development teaching philosophy AND all of the materials to go with them for all these age groups 🙈
@@MariaandMontessori so funny!! Finally changed the channel to my name after debating for so long! Yes you made excellent points! I also forgot to mention that I love how you distinguished between imaginative and fantasy play. This was such an honest explanation of Montessori principles. It will really help parents decide on how to implement it at home!
Great video. My son is on the spectrum and his behavioral & developmental pediatrician recommended a Montessori school. There is only a few Montessori schools near me, but most do not allow for his therapist to assist.
I have been doing research, and realized that many schools claiming to be Montessori or implement Montessori principles are simply not the case where you start asking questions.
Thank you for explaining about busy boards and sensory bins. I was naive and purchased a busy book for my son, but it was never something he was interested.
His speech therapist does use a sensory bin with him sometimes, but it's only with one purpose.
I'm glad you cleared up that this may not be for everyone. I am still researching schools and my options for next year. Hopefully, I can find a school that will meet his needs.
I'm happy to hear the information was useful! But it is heartbreaking to hear about your search for a school for your son. Even if they are unable to have the therapist in the building to assist, are they also not willing to implement any accommodations based on the therapist's feedback while your son is at the school? I know not all schools would, but some do work in tandem with the therapists to make sure the child's unique needs are met. Many schools (at least near us) also will offer a trial period, where the child can attend the school for a few days or weeks without a contract, so both the school and the family can see if this arrangement would be the right choice for the child. I do not believe this is a strictly Monteasori school approach either.
I would direct you to my "Choosing a Montessori school" video, but it seems you're already well versed in finding a real Montessori school. Our area used to thankfully be surrounded by mainly authentic Montessori schools, but more and more I am seeing these fake schools pop up here as well.
I hope you're able to find the right environment for your son 💗
@@MariaandMontessori Thank you for your feedback. I have a tour with a Montessori school tomorrow. I inquired if they are willing to work with his BCBA, even if they will not allow his RBT to be with him.
His BCBA usually attends his preschool twice a week for 2 to 3 hours to help with observation and recommendations.
His VPK teachers have been amazing. They are very willing to work with the therapists and appreciate the feedback and recommendations . The lead teacher had been teaching for over 20 years and has experience with working with special needs kiddos and having an RBT in the room.
It’s a STEM school, and my son has been thriving in that environment. I have been blessed that the teachers, therapists and administrators have all been working together.
Unfortunately, this school only goes up to pre-k. I’ll keep you posted if I can find a Montessori school that is accommodating.
Thank you again for all the content you have posted. I started watching your videos last week and have been trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can.
@@meens2940 It sounds like that school was such an amazing fit for your son. I really do hope you find the right Montessori school for you 🤞 I'll be awaiting an update! Even if you end up in a different type of school, Montessori at home will provide immense benefits for your son as well!
If there's anything you're interested in or have questions about that you're not seeing on my channel, do let me know. I'll be posting more frequently in December and want it to be useful content 🤗
YES on those busy boards!! 😂It frustrates me to no end that they are always marketed as "Montessori". So many great points throughout this video!
The biggest oxymoron on the toy market 🤣 And thank you so much!
I like that you mentioned that Montessori does not replace any therapy that some children may need as an additional support in their development.
Yes, it is important to enter the Montessori school with realistic expectations of what the school can do and what support is necessary for the child!
Loved the explanations, really well explained on both sides of questions!! We definitely part time Montessori but only cause of our current situation, id love to be able to do it more full time and find a good Montessori school in our next city
I'm glad you found it helpful!! You're doing a wonderful job with Zander-end of the day, our kids need loving, respectful, and respectable parents, and that's exactly who he has 🤗
How long should you be spending each day on Montessori Activities with your child? Especially if they don't go to a montessori school and are in that 0-3 age range?
That is a great question. The answer will vary widely as we progress though those first 3 years.
As a benchmark, in the 3-6 class, we are looking at a 3 - hour, uninterrupted work cycle. During this time, children work with the materials on the shelf, put them away, relax, have some quiet reading time, prepare a snack, have the snack, clean up after the snack, partake in practical life activities and even art. As you can see, it is very busy, but it is also filled with activities that are not purely shelf work.
So jumping back into those early infancy days, as you may expect, you're very much following the child and simply letting them look at a mobile or some cards, a rattle or two in the short periods that they're awake. The main thing that is important in infancy is to keep the child free from any contraptions that limit movement as much as possible (swings, bouncers, jumpers, etc).
As we inch into later infancy (past 6 months), our kiddos are able to focus more and interact with the materials in a variety of new ways. There is still not a set time that is recommended even by AMS at this age, but you can definitely aim for several minutes of focused shelf work, along with a lot of gross motor development. Personally, I exclusively pumped, so after each feeding, we had 15-20 minutes per wake window of focused work because I was tied to the pump and wall anyway. If she was really into a material, that time could stretch well beyond the 30 minute mark.
By toddlerhood, the recommendation is 1-1.5 hours for the uninterrupted work cycle. Again, do remember that this can absolutely include your practical life works.
Keep the materials in an easy to access spot for the child and, if they're still not pulling off materials to work on, invite them to interact with the materials frequently throughout the day.
You may find your little one is incredibly focused on some materials more than others or that a specific time works best for him or her to really get intrigued and focus on the tasks at hand. I'm also working on a video for getting them focused at this age!
Realistically, shelf work in toddlerhood may often take a back seat to other tasks at hand like learning to walk! This is where practical life and sensory activities will really come into play. Remember that the 1-1.5 hour work cycle also does include practical life work and a chance to just sit and read! Aim to invite the child several times throughout that time. I find it helpful to look at our time in total on a weekly basis rather than daily or per wake window. Some days she is all about the shelf work. Other days she is all about out pantry! But it is easier to see where there are gaps in practice if I reflect on it on a weekly basis.
So there's not an exact number of minutes that I can give you as an answer here, but I can definitely remind you to Follow the Child and aim for 1-1.5 hour cycles to be your goal as you work through toddlerhood and start the move to 3 hour work cycles towards that 3 year benchmark!