Hello Friends,
Next week a new journey begins. The 21/22 academic year will be full of discovery, joy, and growth. As you finish up your back-to-school shopping, we are busy preparing our beautiful learning environments in a way that embraces and informs your child. Dr. Maria Montessori said, “The first aim of the prepared environment, as far as it is possible, is to render the growing child independent of the adult.”
As Montessori educators, we know that children yearn for independence. This can be a difficult transition. It is a challenge to step back and watch your child struggle and fail at a task it would be so easy to help them with. But to do so interferes with a process that is inherent in all human development; a desire to be self-reliant. There are nuances to this process, when to intervene if necessary, how to support, but we too often get in the way of opportunities for failure, growth, challenge, and the feeling of success that comes from doing something on your own. As you plan to best prepare your child for the year, involve them. Give them responsibilities. Help guide them to develop the independence they yearn for!