Adult - Response to the Child

Children also develop negative attitudes when they feel constantly interrogated or picked on. 


Rather than asking, “Why didn’t you put your work away?” the adult should state the objective facts with a polite reminder as to the proper action: "Your work is not complete, the materials are still out. Finish your work before starting something new."


Only as needed would this need to be extended into explaining (or not!) a consequence. “I see your work was not put away,” usually suffices to elicit either a verbal or physical response from the child, in the form of an explanation why the work is still out or the child going to put it away.


If needed a reminder might be about the next person who would like to work with that material or in that place; the intrinsic value in completing the work cycle (this is how the environment functions); the natural and logical consequences of leaving out a particular piece of material, which may also include that the child cannot work with anything else until this original work is put away; other responses. 


Provide these as needed. More often than not, provide them in a grace and courtesy lesson. 


This is in direct opposition to most non-Montessori child development programs being promoted throughout the USA.



No comments:

Post a Comment