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Plays ... and thoughts of the moment ... From

Here are some points raised when reading about the period 0-3yrs (but more particularly for 2-3years) that I think are important and that I had forgotten ...
This is not an exhaustive list ... and sometimes it may lack the consistency of a well thought ...

The atmosphere of 0-3yrs

Very young children divide their time between practical life (mostly) and sensory life (some initiations). Most of the time, the material of everyday life is suitable for all young children (for example he puts at the disposal of small plates, with raised edges, possibly anti-slip etc. ...).

A very young child carrying a tray that is attention to the plate he wears, or at the direction it takes .... The tray and saw a translation dangerous ... We must therefore organize the plates so that the child is not put in a position to fail. Neurological and psychomotor development does not yet allow the child to be able to pay attention and to the plate and the direction in which he argues ... This development is completed between 3 and 6 years old. Children who were able to practice between 0 and 3 years can quickly get there!

Often, the gestures for the activities are simpler, less numerous than for 3-6yrs. For this reason, we will not find some trays or activities for 0-3years.

Presentations materials are different from how to make from 3-6yrs and objective of the work evenly.

The vast difference between the two age groups is the passage " the unconscious absorbent mind "to " conscious absorbent mind "(that is the subject of a future article ...).

The practical life activities are divided into four parts (parts relate also children 3-6yrs):

• preparatory exercises (movements common to all people: drinking, bend, wear ...)
• living activities practices (environmental care, personal care: dusting, clean mirrors, wash hands)
• grace and courtesy (interactions with others)
• movement control (the child will understand his own movements, to refine its coordination included walking on the line)

Montessori also recognized the need for the child to order, and the repetition of a sequence of movements. The practical life activities are helping to coordinate the movements of the Child, to develop balance, grace, and his need for silence.

characteristics of practical life activities
These activities should be based closer to our daily lives, our everyday objects. So he agrees to make available to the child of things that can break (not necessarily the crystal ....), which are functional, that it finds in its environment, which are familiar to him. Materials must also have a relationship with the child's culture and his era. To allow the child to engage in activity and use all the equipment the whole must always be clean, orderly and complete.
The teacher must ensure that equipment is stowed in a consistent manner, depending on the difficulty. This allows the child to quickly find and develop at the same time a sense of classification and order.
The attraction of the material has vital importance. Maria Montessori believed that it must submit the child's best and most wonderful to help get into "a world more complex and subtle."

Activities are free access to the child can make a real choice. This is the same for 3-6yrs. But the attitude of the educator is different: 0-3years, the child works with adult, the adult the accompanying really and 3-6yrs, even if the child still needs the attention of adults to support its work, the self and individual is sought.

Although often the term "free access" appear in a demanding family planning, it is easier than you might think. When the adult is playing its role as an accompanist, the little child away equipment. As the child needs the attention of adults, mostly it does not work alone. If the adult is not there, the child rarely works, and if he works he left quickly and does not complete the activity.

The motto is " help me to do by myself . This quest for autonomy of the child focuses on the gestures of everyday life: dress, shoes and close to, opening and closing all kinds of containers, open and close doors, drawers, padlocks ...

should then provide the child with activities that allow him to exercise his skills and refine them. At this age, we must seek the autonomy of the child, the fact that he is an actor, he works, he does with his hands. This is not the concentration that characterizes this period as is sometimes believed. The research concentration is naturally and progressively becomes a goal in the period 3-6yrs through sensory activities.

The attitude of the educator with the child during the presentations and during labor

Until the child is in the period 0-3yrs, it should be supported in its work. The adult passes to the child the tools, methods and techniques to gain independence.

The presentations as they were then made in band 3-6yrs are different for younger . They are less formal. Of course this is as far as possible activities for children, but there is more talk, we explain with words what you do (well, this can vary depending on the child).

Montessori reminds us of a few principles:

"If you talk, do not move, and if you move, do not talk."

" Teaching and non teaching correct "

" Our job is to show how we must carry on the business and at the same time to avoid any risk of imitation . "

The child must develop his own way, to exercise these activities so that movement becomes real and not synthetic.

By the fact of the absorbent mind, which encourages children to become independent, the mere fact of saying "I'll show you" enough that the child watches carefully to rebuild after voluntarily. Becoming autonomous is a real need for the very young child. Although younger people are also sensitive to slow movements and precise, it is shown to advantage by talking, by inviting the child, inciting and encouraging. Activities are done "together", under the watchful eye of the teacher. Thus, we show the child how do, then the child tries. But it does not when it acts, even if the child goes about it differently. Only when we demand our aid "comes", but just for what he asks. Then the child is allowed to continue. And especially when the child is "active", it is hard at work, do not confuse with anything ... they are silent, you get little ... "I must decrease so that it grows" ... It thus leaves the child to work alone.

However, it should remain near the child, if he needs us. Sometimes he needs our support to revive its business. When his "action engine" loses its force when it meets or too difficult, then it is there and it is intended to help. At 2 ½ years the child can recognize an action too difficult for him. He said. If the child accepts our help, we help. But do not perform the action with the child's hand. It would lose its autonomy and become a mere puppet. We just need to show him and let him play then.

Briefly : adult is there to help the child to fulfill completely its activity, to encourage him when he meets a difficulty for any help at his request, and prompt after a completed activity to store the material before moving on to something else. The adult may also refer if necessary to a new activity. The presence of adults is necessary and should be almost constant. But this necessity of presence fades gradually as and when the child goes to the period of 3-6yrs.

At the end of an activity, the teacher must be vigilant and assess whether it is appropriate to encourage children to leave to another activity. A simple sentence like "and if we Now the dishes coming out of the machine? "may be enough to stoke the embers of desire ... But it remains difficult ... because it should always observe the child to see if it is still available for work or does not want ... And, last but one activity that truly responds to the needs of the moment ...

Regarding storage, it is necessary to emphasize the store before making a new activity. The child does not necessarily want to store forever and everything ... It is so encouraging. If he does not respond, we offered our help and if it still does not put away in its place, without assistance. When the child will that must be counted each time range and that each time, he will spontaneously self-... but maybe not as fast as the adult wishes ... The example of the benevolent adult enough to make him act ... one day or another ...