What Makes Montessori Daycare Different?

When looking for a daycare center, you may have noticed locations that favor what's known as the Montessori philosophy. You'd be right to ask, "What makes this kind of child care different or better?" Let's look at why you might want to take your kid to a child care center than uses the Montessori approach.

Child-Centered

It's normal at a daycare center for all of the directions to emanate out from the adults to the kids. The goal of the Montessori philosophy is to create a child-centered approach to structuring the day. Resources are placed at the disposal of the children, and there's a recognition by the adults that a kid's innate curiosity will pull them toward specific things that interest them.

Thoughtfully Designed Settings

Rather than just tossing a few tables and a bunch of toys into a child care center, folks following the Montessori worldview strive to create explorable settings. The location is orderly and designed to encourage calm, although there's a clear understanding that kids will not always be calm. Shelves are filled with carefully chosen items that prompt curiosity and reward interaction. Most centers that bill themselves as Montessori also have trained teachers present, and they can update the environment as necessary to keep it fulfilling and rewarding for the kids.

Directly Teaching Kids

It's normal for a Montessori daycare center to have a low teacher-to-children ratio. Each teacher addresses issues with children in an age-appropriate manner. For example, it's understood that a two-year-old needs to develop independence but probably isn't at the point they're going to regularly use the potty without problems. Kids of that age are taught how to handle these basic tasks alongside other things like getting dressed and taking basic care of their spaces. As children get older, more age-appropriate learning takes place.

Deliberateness

Everything in a Montessori setting has a purpose. If there's a container in the room, for example, the goal is to let a curious child figure out how to open, use, and close it. The same applies to a slew of other things, such as safety scissors, strings, beads, puzzles, and colorful balls. While the kid's built-in curiosity will compel them to interact with these objects, the objects are deliberately chosen to promote learning through interaction.

Self-Discipline

Ultimately, a child in this type of daycare center should become more self-directed. Rather than seeing discipline as a thing imposed upon them by adults, children will learn that self-discipline and sufficiency are rewarding feelings.

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