School Readiness: How Will You Know When Your Child Is Ready?
How do we know when our children are ready for certain developmental milestones in the classroom, such as early language or math skills? As parents, we worry that an unchallenged child might become bored and lose interest in school. On-the-other hand, they might be pushed into lessons that they are simply not ready to learn, resulting in a frustrated child that doesn’t like school. Above all, we want our kids to enjoy learning. The love for learning is, no doubt, one of the greatest gift s we can give our children.
But will we recognize that crucial moment when it has arrived? How can we be sure to take full advantage of our children’s educational windows of opportunity, while they are open? How do we ensure that our children are learning at their own unique and individual pace?
I recently read this simple and yet reassuring statement about the Montessori learning philosophy:
“Interest is the great indicator of readiness.”
Wow, could it really be that straightforward? Could we, parents and educators, simply take a step back, observe, and let the child tell us when they are ready? The answer, according to Maria Montessori, is a resounding “yes.”
More than a century ago, Maria Montessori realized that, contrary to conventional beliefs, children are born with an innate desire to learn. By providing children with the appropriate environment to choose and explore their interests, and allowing them to follow those interests at their own pace, the child’s natural love for learning is fostered and allowed to flourish.
As an adult who still loves to learn, it’s no stretch for me to understand that learning comes easily and naturally when the interest is there. I can spend hours, days, even weeks gobbling information on subjects that are intriguing to me. Why should it be any different for my children? When they are engaged, they are calm, focused, self disciplined and content. No one is making them build that spaceship or read that book; they do it because they want to learn.
Your Child Knows...
Montessori classroom environments are designed through use of in-depth knowledge of the stages of child development, and an understanding that each child will develop at his or her own pace by following their own, unique set of interests. So the answer to “how will we know,” is “the child knows.” Given the right environment, your child can and will take ownership of his/her own education and even enjoy doing so!
To find out more about Learning Readiness, follow the link below...
