From the beginning, I wanted my own child, John, to be independent. I was always looking to the next stage and how best to get him there: potty training at two and a half years old, putting sippy cups in a drawer he could reach so he could get his own water, and opening a checking account with a Visa Debit card that he used for his own purchases at 16 years old. I think it worked because today, he thinks he knows how best to care for himself (you know, as only a 21 year old can ;).
My job is/was to help my son be successful in life, to ensure he can take care of himself when he reaches adulthood (I consider him an adult when he’s done with college and off the family payroll), and what could be a better value to get him there than learning independence by consistently and repeatedly giving him opportunities? That’s what I love so much about Montessori, its mantra is “freedom within limits” so that each child learns how best to take care of themself, others and their environment. Maria Montessori famously said, “Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.”
So why is the foundation of independence so important for your child? And how do we do that at Jarrell Montessori?
Why is teaching independence important?
- Independence in children promotes confidence
- Independence motivates your child to continue to persevere in school
- Preschoolers will learn self-reliance, allowing your child to feel they have control over their life
- Building independence gives your child a sense of importance and belonging which is essential for building social relationships and for contributing to the world
- It develops their levels of self-awareness and sensitivity towards others which teaches them to help those around them
- It teaches them a sense of responsibility
- It provides them with the belief that they are competent and capable of taking care of themselves which makes them resilient to external challenges
- It allows them to become good decision-makers as they have the freedom to consider various options before choosing the one they feel is best
- It develops other vital qualities such as patience, concentration, self-help, cooperation, self-discipline and self-trust
- It gives them the freedom to experience life fully and learn its many important lessons
- It increases their sense of achievement and success as a direct result of their own actions. Source
How do we teach independence at Jarrell Montessori?
- Your Teachers observe the children: Montessori teachers are trained to observe first! They learn to pay attention, look for patterns, listen to language, and watch for signs that a child is ready for the next step, next lesson, or next material in a sequence.
- Your child’s classroom environment is designed with intention: Everything that you see in a Montessori classroom has been put there on purpose. Every low shelf, every carefully organized tray, every color, everything has been chosen because it serves a purpose: to lead a child to independent learning and allow space and opportunity for self-reliant action. We even sequence our materials from left to right and top to bottom. Montessori positively blooms with intentional purpose! I like to think our Montessori Teachers are a little nerdy, going to great lengths to allow their students to be as independent as possible.
- We start small and break it down into digestable pieces to make it easier to grasp and grow: The Montessori classroom is all about sequential learning! We do this and then we do that. We learn this and then we move on to that. Source
The Montessori Method promotes independence by giving a child the ability to make their own choices, providing gentle guidance and allowing them to learn through working with the materials at their own pace. The Montessori way removes unneeded discipline and traditional lessons, providing a flexible and empowering learning environment, helping promote independence in your child by giving them faith in themselves. By no longer being served, overly directed or criticized, children learn to figure out things on their own. They make their own choices and mistakes, discover the world and it’s wisdom, and teach themselves how to be a respectful and respected person along the way. Sounds too good to be true? Stick around and observe a Primary classroom after you drop off. It’s a thing of beauty. Source
And last thought, have you noticed how your child WANTS to be independent? Almost as soon as they say the word “no,” they also learn to say, “I do it.” Your child is craving independence and being in an independent-rich atmosphere like a Montessori school is just the thing for that self-reliance to grow! And knowing that you are raising your child to be successful and find contentment in themselves is the most precious of gifts, something you are giving them by attending a Montessori school. John was eager to learn to drive, a rarity in today’s Gen Z world. He got a job the second he turned 16. When he asks for help I pay attention because he doesn’t ask often. Is my son the perfect child? Not even close. Being independent has also led to him to exercise life choices I wasn’t a fan of. But he learned the consequences and those lessons are carried forward in his future actions and only blamed himself instead of others. These types of behaviors which serve our children so well in adulthood can be YOUR child’s experience if they are raised with independence, especially in a setting that encourages it to flourish like at a Montessori school.
The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence. ~ Denis Waitley
~ Shannon Black, Founder/Co-Owner of Jarrell Montessori
