January 24, 2008 4:12 PM
Montessori at Home - purposeful activity
This question came into my Mommy, Teach Me! site:
Hi Barbara!
Here's a question for you: How much time per day should I expect (or encourage) my 34-month old to spend on her "work"? She was pretty enthusiastic about it when I started introducing it, but now her interest has tapered, and weeks go by without her touching it much at all. When I suggest an activity, she almost always refuses. (Perhaps this is a control issue?) Also, what do you recommend when a child sits down at an activity (say, the sponge-squeezing activity) and starts improvising (instead of transferring the water back and forth, she pretends she is washing dishes)?
Thanks!
I'd say two or three 20 minute sessions a day would be excellent, but there will be days when you just can't do that. Life at home with little children is just too spontaneous and unpredictable to hold yourself to a rigid standard. So set a goal, but don't become discouraged if it doesn't work out every day.
Some children will want to be "working" all the time and never need encouragement. Others will need some coaxing to sit down and focus - but that is what you want to build on and be working toward - their ability to concentrate at a task.
If you think it might be a control issue, it probably is! In which case you want to make sure that you are always giving her a choice: Would you like to polish some silver or do some lacing cards? You might try making a list of what you'd like her to do and them having her check it off as she completes each task - kids love check lists - or use stars or stickers as a reward.
If that makes her want to rush through things, try using a timer to draw her into longer sessions with each activity.
Be sure to observe your child carefully to know when she needs a new challenge: If she has been spooning beans from bowl to bowl, for example, you could try replacing the beans with cotton balls and showing her how to use a small pair of tongs (sugar cube tongs are great for this). Then tongs and marbles. Keep finding ways to keep her challenged and interested.
Remember, whatever "work" your child is doing is not an end itself, but a means to an end. If she is concentrating on making designs out of rice on the table, that is building concentration every bit as much as pouring the rice without spilling from pitcher to pitcher. The key is to find what brings out your child's ability to concentrate.
In strict Montessori, improvisation is a big no-no, but I've found that policy harsh and unrealistic. What you can do is take it as a sign that your child needs some time out for imaginative play. If she's improvising with sponge and water, for instance, you could redirect her - after putting away her work - toward a stool at the sink and let her play for a while with water and plastic dishes. Make sure to create the boundaries - no water on the floor, etc. And you can set up a sequence for her by saying, "You can have a little time to play here at the sink, and then you can use the pattern blocks to make a design to show Daddy when he comes home."
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The activities I've mentioned are found in my book, Mommy, Teach Me!
Posted in Homeschooling, Montessori, Preschoolers, Toddlers | Permalink
Comments
Hmm . . . I think my kids (3.5 and 2) are always signaling the need for more imaginative play. Their attention span for most formal activities (spooning, sorting, magnets, matching, etc.) is maybe five or ten minutes. For elaborate play of their own invention, it's hours.
If I set them up with activities at the table and turn my back for a minute, all the manipulatives will be poured together into a pot of soup.
I'm not really sure if this is a problem are not. They are certainly developing lots of manual skills in their play, and they don't lack for concentration in general. Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing something by being so laid back, though.
Posted by: Queen of Carrots | January 25, 2008 11:03 AM
