Introducing Montessori to the youngest children

Sometimes people are surprised to learn that Montessori principles can apply from birth. And most commonly I hear people say, “if only I’d known about these ideas earlier”.

So here are all my favorite ideas for introducing Montessori even to the youngest children.

If you have toddlers, preschoolers or older children, there is something for you too. You’ll find that many of these ideas apply to them as well. And you are sure to be able to pass on these ideas to friends with new babies too.

So why begin from birth? Or even conception?

I encourage parents to use Montessori ideas as early as possible. There is already so much you can do – how you touch the baby, talk to the baby, set up your home, and how you respond to their efforts at communication.

A baby has an unconscious absorbent mind. They are taking in impressions of the world around them without any effort. And they absorb the good as easily as the bad.

So, I love to create beautiful environments for them to absorb, speak with rich language for them to take in, and touch gently and with their permission in a respectful way.

You can already lay the foundations to the way they explore and how they feel about themselves. For example, giving them the opportunity to work out how things respond to their touch, allowing time for them to explore their space, and responding to their efforts.

Communicating with babies

One of the first things I noticed when I first visited a Montessori environment is how respectfully the teacher spoke with the child. The same thing applies even when we speak with an infant.

They understand everything even from a young age. So even if they cannot yet answer back:

1. Ask them questions, e.g., “Do you hear the fire engine?”
2. Show them things, e.g., “Look at the tulip. It has red edges on the petals.”
3. Let them know what is happening, e.g., “We are getting ready to visit Grandma…”
4. Use rich language, e.g., use the real names of trees, flowers, animals, dogs, vehicles etc.
5. Respond to their attempts to communicate
6. Repeat the sounds they make
7. Take turns with them – let them poke out their tongue and do the same. They are learning how to take turns in a “conversation”.
8. Read books – it is never too early to start with books. Begin with black and white books, then simple word books with beautiful pictures, and move onto rhyming books. Around 1 year old, lift-the-flap books are great too.

The most important thing is to get their permission before you handle them. If you are going to change their nappy, first tell them, “We are going to change your nappy.” When you get in the habit of doing this, you may even see them begin to raise their head as if to say, “I’m ready”.

Montessori materials for babies

Natural materials

As with older children, we are very conscious to offer materials made of natural materials and fibers for example, wood, rubber, metal, paper, different fabrics. They love to grasp and explore these materials, particularly with their mouths.

Less is more

I always suggest to buy less than you think and, rather than needing to buy a lot, also let your child explore household items. The baby is able to choose more easily when there is less available and they can more deeply explore these items.

Observe your child to know what to offer them

I often get asked “How do I know what to offer?” And my answer is to observe them. If they lose interest quickly it may be too easy or even too difficult. Allow for some struggle, but with enough possibility for success.

Every time you offer a toy, observe your child to see how they respond, to see what they are working to master. If they are grasping at a bracelet, offer more grasping opportunities. When they start to pull up, set up the environment to have more opportunities to pull up in their space.

Some Montessori mobiles for newborns to around 3 months

There is the most beautiful series of mobiles for Montessori babies to follow their development. Some of my favorites are:

1. The Munari is a black and white mobile balanced against a glass sphere. Just right for a newborn. Here is an example HERE.
   
2. An octahedron mobile made with reflective primary colors, like this one HERE.
3. The Gobbi is for introducing different shades of colors for babies around 2-3 months. Look HERE.

Read my previous article about the Baby toys from day one, click HERE.

I hope you enjoyed these tips I will be back with more inspiration for you soon,

Best wishes

Joanna