In Montessori primary
school, the role of the parent is
crucial in helping children get the best education possible. Because children
spend so much more time with parents than teachers, this should not be a
surprise, but it is important to convey how your role as a parent impacts the
total educational process.
Role Model
When the private
elementary school day is over, your
child continues to observe and absorb external input. Your children watch
everything you do, including how you interact with others, accept
responsibility, and even your personal activities. As her primary role model,
your role is to provide a good example that she can build on, from displaying
self-control to showing an interest in learning new skills. Your moral compass
is going to influence hers, so make an effort to put your best foot forward in
everything you do.
Support and Encouragement
When you show an interest in your child’s activities, you encourage
her to do more, learn more, and share her thoughts and feelings. Parents are a
child’s primary source of encouragement and play a vital role in building
self-esteem and personal responsibility. Encourage her to try new things and
talk with her about her day. If she is angry or upset, help her work out her
problems in a productive manner and offer suggestions for achieving solutions
that are satisfactory for all parties involved.
Education and Instruction
A common mistake is to think that education ends when you pick
your daughter up from her Montessori elementary school. The fact is, the topics
she has touched on during the school day are only the beginning, and your
parental role is to expand on her studies and generally build on what she
covered in school. The classroom only occupies a small percentage of her
formative years, but you have the ability to turn every day into an
exciting and fulfilling experience
she will carry with her for her entire life.
Montessori is a holistic approach to education intended to not
only teach your children the fundamental aspects of learning, but it is also
meant to teach her to be more productive, more involved, and better able to
interact socially in the world she lives in. Her Montessori elementary school
will provide her with the building blocks, but your role as a parent is to
transform those blocks into a towering firmament of decisiveness and determination.
