What makes a thing a Montessori material?

So what makes a thing a Montessori material that can help in the early brain development of your kid? Well, to put it simply there is no such thing as a “Montessori material” or “Montessori Toy”. Although, any material or a toy that qualifies under the Montessori philosophies can be called a Montessori Learning Material.

To start Montessori Learning at home for your kid with you will need to carefully select age-appropriate Montessori Materials, set up in a playroom.

Keep in mind you don’t want to place a lot of toys in front of your kid because they can get overwhelmed and confused by a lot of different colored objects leaving you frustrated.

So arrange just a few toys at a time on a shelf and rearrange them according to your little one’s interests and preferences.

Make sure you give your child his space to explore on his own and solve problems. Meanwhile, you may want to go toy shopping keeping the following things in mind to make sure you buy only Montessori-aligned learning materials.

5 CHARACTERISTICS FOUND IN MONTESSORI LEARNING MATERIALS AND TOYS:

1. Montessori learning materials are never complex but simple:

Any toy you pick should be simple. Your child is trying to understand the world and the things around him. So in the beginning they need to be given organized challenges.

When too much information is offered in one toy or learning material, children cannot soak the essential benefit of that particular activity.

For example, simple triangles, circles, and squares in the same colors and sizes make a good activity for your kid to explore initially rather than handing your kid all three shapes in different versions of colors and sizes. This would make it complex for your kid initially.

This is something you gradually want to jump on once your little one is used to the basics.

2. Montessori-qualified toys are realistic:

A child’s brain is less capable of distinguishing imagination from reality. So in order to help them develop real imagination and understand the world around them better, they need to first learn about what’s real. You should spend time with your kid and reading his  Lions in Africa, telling them what and where Africa is, etc.

Give them toys and learning materials with real consequences, like you should skip sound-making toys and engage them in a real activity like a ball rolls down from an inclined surface or the same ball bounces back higher depending on how hard you hit it.

3. Montessori toys act as better developmental inputs than electronic toys:

It is advisable to choose toys made from natural materials like Wood for Kids, whenever possible, instead of toys that factor in any electronics or flashy lights. Research done by a popular online journal of Pediatrics revealed that less verbal interaction happens between parents and children (in infancy and toddler stages) when an electronic or a flashy toy was involved. Infants and Toddlers who played with more traditional items like wooden blocks, rattles, puzzles, balls, and similar toys tended to exhibit better language development with mommy or daddy, giving your baby much more beneficial than the plastic toys. The metal toys on the other hand are cool to touch at first and then warms in their hand, plastic however is a bit bland and doesn’t offer any new world experience to your baby, while Montessori toys are made from natural materials and provide a variety of textures for Kids to experience.

4. Montessori learning materials are functional and constructive:

All the toys we give our children should require their participation and action for use. The best toys for our little ones’ development allow them to explore and involve their own will, decisions, and ideas. They aren’t passive spectators to an adult’s idea about entertainment. They manipulate and build and interact, learning about their world and their capabilities.

5. Montessori play and learning method offers limited choices, that makes for effective learning:

Any Montessori Learning material you may choose should not be loaded with many features. Just as having too many toys can be overwhelming, having a toy with many features is equally ineffective.

The ideal number of toys will increase as the child ages, but will depend on their individual personalities. Rotating from their collection will allow time to explore and use all the toys they have.

These Montessori learning materials are included in the Prodigy Super Kids Advance Program subscription box for babies (0 to 12 months old) and toddlers (13 to 24 months old).

Tips to make Montessori Learning at home easier using the Montessori Toys:

Give them slow directions with hands

To begin with, you should give them slow and exaggerated directions with your hands to show your kid what a particular object does while saying few or no words as you go.

Your child’s brain needs time to grasp as their minds find it hard to concentrate, so help them focus on your hands by saying as little as possible while you explain how to work with a particular toy.

Participate only when you need to

First of all, make sure to give your child to finish something on their own and resist jumping in. If your kid is stuck then suggest a new direction if they seem to need encouragement. Giving your child their own space to explore is what we call hands-on independent learning which Montessori is all about.

Take turns and let them lead

After you show your kid how to use a Montessori toy, offer them a turn and wait for them to do the task on their own. This lets your child take the lead and they give it their all to solve a particular problem.

Now when they are done, gently ask them, ‘Now may I have my turn?’ This will make them learn to observe and wait.

Repeating is good

While your child may seem to get bored after repeating a particular activity. However, you may want your kid to repeat a certain activity until they become really good at it. Your job is to make the activity fun so that they don’t back off. Use encouragement and make them repeat.

The importance of repetition lies in an observation that states repeating a seemingly simple task prepares your kid’s minds and hands for a more complex task later.

Think of each toy as a tool for learning a new language

Kids of 0-3 years of age are always craving to learn new words. It intrigues them and hooks their attention. So whenever you are presenting a new toy, start by naming it correctly and follow up the name by explaining its purpose.

Let your child explore different possibilities

The worst thing you can do while observing your kid doing a Montessori Learning Activity is to get fixated on one perfect way instead of limiting your kid in one particular way. Give them their time and applaud them if they find a new way to do a particular activity. Make it sound like an achievement.

 

If you found this post helpful then you can also try Joining our Program today to know : the SUPER SECRETS about ‘Raising a Prodigy Kid’ during their precious 0-2-year-old window, and How to Unlock your 0 to 2-year baby’s inborn genius & amazing abilities with our At-home Program for Parents & Caregivers.