Montessori education and behavior is a great perspective you can give your child. You can raise your child with the Montessori mentality as an individual who is not dependent on outside and has his own inner motivation. To build that mindset, we’ve listed suggestions for the way you approach your child. You can use these expressions and similar ones in your communication with your child at home.
1. “You are making great progress.”
Montessori education focuses on intrinsic motivation and process. Instead of praising how quickly your child finished their work or how easy it was for them, mention how they concentrated over a long period of time and how they tried despite the difficulties. By praising your child’s efforts, you can help them learn that anything is possible when they put their minds to it.
Result-Oriented Sentence: “What a great job you are doing.” Effort-Oriented Sentence: “I can see that you are very concentrated on your work.”
2. “This is a very good question, can you solve it?”
When your child asks you a question, encourage them to find the solution and continue until they find the answer. By showing your child how to seek answers, you can build confidence in themselves and their problem-solving abilities.
Child Question: “Do you know where my mom shoes are?” Parent’s Response: “Where did you last go? You can search there.”
3. “What do you think of your work?”
Self-analysis is a big part of Montessori education. It teaches the child to be their own teacher with the power of self-discovery. You can encourage your child to develop self-analysis skills; encourage them to evaluate their own work rather than looking to others for approval.
Confirmation Statement: “Your picture is beautiful.” Self-Analysis Sentence: “How did you decide what to draw and what colors to use in your painting? How do you think it happened?”
4. “You can tell me the way you want me to help.”
It is important for children to learn to take on new responsibilities, but also to know that they can ask for help when they need it. If your child is overwhelmed by the sheer size of a task, guide them outside of the “save the day” mentality so they can manage the task more easily.
Controller-Saving the Day Phrase: “Let me do this for you.” Phrase to Encourage Independence: “Which part would you like help with?”
5. “Looks like you really enjoy your work.”
It is very important to give your child perspective on valuing the process and overcoming challenges. In some tasks, children may give up quickly, especially if they find the task difficult. Encourage them to value the process, highlighting where they enjoyed and learned in completing their work.
Complimentary sentence: “You have completed your work perfectly.” Encouraging sentence: “Can you tell me about your work? What was your favorite part? ”
Communication Suggestions to Develop a Montessori Mindset in Your Child
