How do I support my "GALEMO-child" at home ?

The latter also applies to the parents. Nevertheless, it always comes back to uncertainties arising from our " pioneer " situation. We're trying to break new ground with our children and therefore we can not only rely on our experience and the support of our environment. Especially comparisons with students from other schools reinforce usually already existing fears.

The best way to counteract these fears we may encounter is by,

  • Observing the development of our children carefully. Only a child who feels comfortable, can develop optimally. In this area Montessori schools need not to shy away from the comparison with mainstream schools. The emotional and social skills form the basis of the intellectual development and the basis of a fulfilled life. The focus of the observation should always be in the mood and not in the performance of the child.
  • Reading books and magazines (Parents - Library )
  • Hold talks with the teachers
  • Attend seminars and courses
  • Have discussions with experienced " Montessori teachers "
  • Conversations with other parents (parent evenings)

A "Montessori child" needs a different form of care in the family compared to a regular school child." Particularly important is the confidence of the parents (as well as from others, closely related),  in the child, but also in our school. The children immediately feel, even if it is not expressed directly, if we believe that they want to learn and they are directed by this. In other words, they cooperate . Jesper Juul has very lovingly written in his book " The competent child " about this topic.

In addition, we asked ourselves how we can support our " Montessori children " at home in a meaningful way . Although they are optimally cared for by our teachers in the school, it is quite possible that they also need an afternoon input . A prepared environment at home that the child can use if they so wish, would be useful, and we adults are part of that environment.

Therefore, our attitude is particularly important:

  • We are the role model. What important is to us,  will be important to our children!
  • Acceptence (even though we did a lot of work, and the children did not respond ) !
  • Have patience (no material force)!
  • Have always the interests of children at heart!
  • The children should feel that their interests, where, when and how to learn are important.
  • Everything should always be adapted to the level of the children.
  • Do only those things with the kids that are fun !
  • When we as parents become uncertain, this uncertainty is also transferred to the children.
  • The parents are not the leisure entertainment of the children !
  • The leisure time should be largely designed by the children!
  • Boredom is a positive feeling, much creative can come out of it. Let it be
  • The afternoon classes should not exceed a reasonable level and be compatible with the Montessori method.
  • There should be a lot of time for social learning in the afternoon, eg. visiting children in the neighbourhood.
  • Allow free games  = optimum state of learning. For this, a very important book: " New Kids, New Parents " by Joseph Chilton Pearce and Michael Mendizza
  • Television as little as possible (also in the above mentioned book)
  • Computer with a purpose and in moderation
  • Do not show everything to the children, let them explore the world itself !

ATTENTION!!! (to avoid misunderstandings)

  • Stress and anxiety impede the development of intellect!
  • There is no need for extra teaching outside the school hours!
  • Give the children a variety of possibilities and tasks!
  • Let the children decide to take part or not, what is interesting or not.
  • Montessori materials should be offered only in the school!
  • It is useless to correct spelling errors in the primary school age, unless the children ask for it explicitly. The interest in the logic and the rules of our language develops in many children not until about the twelfth year.
  • Premature correction frustrates the students and spoils the joy of writing, something some adults may still be able to remember.

Collection of ideas for a prepared environment at home:

Topic: WRITTEN LANGUAGE

  • Maintain nightly reading
  • Tell stories,  keep retelling, invent, change ...
  • Infants books should go out the room
  • Use books with pictures in the text , eg: " pony , bear and apple tree "
  • Reduce the reading out for the children in everyday life; let children read. Mostly they just want us to be there, not that we read for them. Please listen patiently , without repair or urge .
  • Help with making reading sounds (A, B , C, D ... ) - not spelling (A , Be, Ce, De ... )
  • Use any reading occasions, such as: cooking recipes , game manuals,
  • Offer games such as: Small note book (for block letters, cursive writing, English ... ) write DOOR, WINDOW , FLOOR , MAMA , etc. and stick to the relevant things. Wait, see if and how the children respond . If it gives them pleasure, you can continue to play as eg. stick the note stick on false items, that children can remove the pieces of paper, write another list ...
  • Send a short, personal order: eg. OPEN THE DOOR ! GIVE ME AN APPLE ! etc.
  • Use small notes in everyday life: eg.(in the evening on the pillow): I love you so much! Or in between : DEAR SWEETHEART ! IT WAS BEAUTIFUL, WITH YOU TO COOK. HUG, MAMI etc.
  • If the children are writing back, please only correct any fault if the children ask for it explicitly. The joy of playing with the language should remain untarnished !
  • Hang up ABC - posters ( letters & pictures ). Buy  eg. gift wrapping paper or go for self-made.
  • Let the kids watch when you write letters, postcards, shopping lists, visit libraries
  • Set up their own email address, if possible, so that the children can write and receive emails.
  • Children should be aware that written language is part of our life, that it is important and can be joyful.

Subject: MATHEMATICS

  • Pocket money
  • The children can go shopping, or include them in the shopping (price comparisons, estimating, rounding ... )
  • Offer homework material such as: buttons, stones , noodles ...
  • Hang up posters such as : 1x1 , numbers and quantities
  • Involves them in weighing and measuring when cooking, DIY or crafting.
  • Play various games such as: quartet, chess, canasta, Monopoly ...
  • Number puzzles, such as Sudoku
  • Rhymes

Topic: WORLD NEWS

  • Children's questions: really listen to those! Don't give ready answers!
  • Put up posters: eg. Austria, EU, Europe, Space, the whole world, animals, plants....)
  • Have a  globe, atlas in the house..
  • Visit exhibitions and museums
  • Limit television programs, eg: what the Romans did for us, Pole to Pole, etc.
  • Computer for writing, trivia games
  • Books: encyclopedias, why  - books,  etc.
  • Calendar
  • Magazines
  • Theater, opera, musicals, etc.
  • Go out into nature!
  • Offer books for making experiments, include materials to do so.

Especially in this, but also in the other areas, it would be useful if we mutually provide parents with information about particularly good books, exhibitions, films, games, etc. .

Topic: MOVEMENT

Movement is important for a healthy physical but also cognitive and psychological development! Without movement, the brain can process and store only a minimum of knowledge and understanding, which is communicated through writing, reading and arithmetic on paper . Therefore, the children must make adequate exercise daily in order to develop in the best possible way.

  • Here should we also be examples. Only moving parents have moving children. Give the children your time and moves with them!
  • Leave the car to use the bicycle or our legs in the interest of the environment and our health, can only do good for children and adults alike.
  • Be critical for work in the classes, as they limit the time for valuable free play and also sometimes promote an exaggerated performance and competition.
  • Again apply the principle of well-prepared environment for the movement. If we are able to provide the children a wide range of home exercise program, they will choose the form of movement that at that particular time brings the greatest benefit and the greatest satisfaction for them. You then also have the opportunity to work up deficits in their motoric development.
  • Ideal conditions are found in the outdoors: the garden, a meadow, the forest, going to a lake, etc. Here you can climb, swing, dig in the sand, pull, carry water, raking grass, muddy in the rain, turning over soil , push a wheelbarrow, balance ...
  • But even a child's room can be set up so that the children can find there enough suggestions: a trampoline or a mattress for jumping, inclined planes, a hammock or rocking chair, lots of pillows and blankets, ropes, sheepskin and boxes, punching bag ...
  • So can they now jump to their hearts content, slide, pull, push, rock, you can build caves to hide in from boxes or use them to build cars, ships etc. - the sky is the limit!
  • In the bath,  you can put in different sized towels - they are heavy and they give the child the on-the-body-laying various levels and depth of information; apply lotion - if the child likes it - with clear distinct movements.
  • Swimming, cycling, ice skating, skiing, cuddle, wrestle, massage, joint excursions into nature ... all this promotes the development of the child - without any pressure and coercion!

This collection of ideas has come from many parents and teacher interviews and may be at any time extended or modified.

I hope it helps the students and parents to feel more comfortable in the GALEMO! For new suggestions or questions please contact  me!

Edrita Fröhlich