Teach your child not to pick leaves and flowers aimlessly then toss them aside, but to gather them only for a good purpose. Emphasize the need to treat every living thing with care. Teach them to respect good, rich soil and all the life that it supports on our planet. For example, children often learn to think of the soil as “dirt,” a word that implies something nasty to many people. After all, we are all part of the web of life, dependent on the delicate balance within the natural world for our own existence. Teach your children a reverence for life. Stewards of the planet Another key Montessori idea is that children are stewards of the Earth and must learn to care for distant places such as rainforests and ice caps as well as pockets of nature within the city or suburbs, and to preserve them for the future. “Look, there’s Grandma’s house! What lovely flowers she has growing outside her door!” or “My goodness, Mary, can you see the nest those birds have built in the tree? Some day they will lay eggs, and they will have baby birds up there!” In the winter, when you see animal tracks in the fresh snow, ask, “Who has been walking here?” As your child gets older, begin to point out familiar things as you walk around. Point out small things: a tiny flower poking up through the snow, a beautiful shell, a perfect leaf. Whether it is summer, fall, spring, or winter, every season has its own beauty. All these leave a strong and lasting impression. Even very young infants absorb the sights and sounds of the outdoors-clouds passing overhead, the sight and smell of flowers in the garden, the wind rustling the leaves in the trees. Take time to introduce her to your world. You will probably begin your child’s life outdoors by taking her out for little excursions in her stroller or carrying her on your back. They form lifelong memories of days spent hiking with their parents in the woods, playing in a creek, and walking along a beach looking for shells. They enjoy helping to look after the family garden or feeding small animals such as ducks, rabbits, and chickens. The outdoor world Children love to be outdoors, wandering around, climbing trees, picking berries, and collecting pinecones. Books and other materials help children to pull these powerful impressions and experiences together in their minds, but the foundation needs to be laid in direct observation and hands-on experience. No book using words and illustrations to describe the world that exists around a small brook or under a rotting log can replace the value of spending time closely studying the real thing.
#DISCOVERY FOR KIDS HOW TO#
When children are young, they are not only learning things, they are learning how to learn. This is especially true when they are young, but it also applies to older children and even adults. The best way for children to learn is by doing things, not by being told about them. Don’t get impatient when she dawdles-adjust to her pace.
Follow your child’s lead, and be prepared to stop and examine anything that captures her interest-a ladybug or a flower, for example. Keep in mind the slow moving pace of her world.
Seeing life from her point of view can help you to rediscover the sense of wonder of a young child. Encourage this in your child-help her to discover the beauty and wonder of everything around her.Ĭhild’s eye view Remember that your child’s world is up close and low to the ground. Children are born with marvelous imaginations and a keen desire to explore the world. This drive for discovery continues to develop as they grow and become more adventurous in the things that they try out, from making mud pies in the garden to starting a worm farming the living room. Infants and toddlers test the environment to see what happens when, for example, they drop a toy out of their highchair or play with the water in their bath. Maria Montessori believed that all children behave like “little scientists” in that they are eager to observe and make “what if” discoveries about their world. Encourage your child to observe the world and to feel a sense of wonder for everything in it. Children have an inbuilt drive for discovery.
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