Doing Montessori At Home With Your Baby ( 4 - 6 mo )

Montessori at home with a baby can be a wonderful way to promote independence and exploration in your little one. Here are a few tips to get started:

Create a prepared environment: Set up a safe and inviting space for your baby to explore. Choose a few age-appropriate toys and materials and rotate them regularly to keep your baby engaged and curious.
Follow your baby’s lead: Observe your baby to see what interests them and then provide opportunities for them to explore those interests further. This can help build confidence and independence.
Encourage self-care: Teach your baby how to dress themselves, wash their hands, and feed themselves. This can help them develop important life skills and promote independence.
Foster language development: Talk to your baby often and read books together. This can help promote language development and a love of learning.

Remember, Montessori is all about following the child’s lead and creating a supportive environment for them to learn and grow at their own pace. With a little planning and effort, you can create a Montessori-inspired home that supports your baby’s development and helps them thrive.

Maria Montessori touches thousands of lives even today because of her passion and respect for children that thread through her teaching and method.
Her findings regarding a baby’s development are fascinating and predate many modern discoveries. Understanding what lies behind aspects of the Montessori approach when it comes to babies from 4-6 months old is something I will try to tackle in this post.

“In the soul of the baby, there are secrets still hidden from the adult”. M. Montessori

animals that hibernate montessori nature free printables pegs cards tracing print fall winter

montessori at home baby 4 5 6 months montessori nature (8)

Childhood is not a race for a child to reach every single milestone by a certain time. Don’t get me wrong, milestones are important, but chances are that babies will get there regardless of our worries if we allow them to develop their full potential and enjoy this precious time.

KEY FACTORS I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE

an uncluttered environment with low shelving and low wall art “..the small baby cannot live in disorder. Disorder disturbs him, upsets him, and he may express his suffering by despairing cries, or by an agitation that can even assume the forms of illness “.

“Images fall at once into a pattern in the service of reason: it is in the service of his reason that the child first absorbs such images. He is hungry for them, and, we may well say, insatiable.

It has always been known that a young child is strongly attracted to light, colors, and sounds, in all of which he takes visible delight…it is important that the child should be able to preserve the images he is taking in with a maximum of clarity; for it is through the clarity and brilliance of impression distinguishing one from the other, that the ego can build the mind”. Maria Montessori

stability
freedom of movement
routine
familiarity

“The small baby is immediately aware of a disorder that grown-ups and even bigger children pass by without perceiving Order in his outer environment evidently affects a sensibility that vanishes as he grows bigger.

It is therefore precisely one of those periodic sensibilities proper to creatures in the process of development and which we call “sensitive periods”; it is one of the most important and most mysterious of such periods”. Maria Montessori

stimulation. I believe “stimulation” is a keyword for this period of life. It is way too easy to go about the day without making eye – contact or picking up a book. Babies thrive on our attention. Contact physical and emotional provide necessary stimulation for brain development.

“Studies suggest that babies who are stimulated reach developmental milestones and become independent earlier. They have keener senses, better muscle coordination, and a more secure self-image. On the other hand, babies who are not stimulated are found to grow up at a distinct disadvantage in their first grade in school.

This disadvantage may linger for years. It has also been observed that babies with the same genetic background or coming from the same family turn out differently when raised in different environments. Babies who are nurtured in an intelligent environment grow up to have better personalities and more advanced intelligence levels. Infant stimulation can be fun for both you and your baby. Your baby is not the only one who learns, but you also get to know your baby better, and hone your skill to be her effective first teacher”. (source -via raisesmartkid.com)

one-on-one interaction
allowing “alone playtime”
nurturing a feeling of security. To know what is best for the baby is to understand their primary needs – babies need to feel safe. When babies feel safe, they are healthier, they are better dispositioned to learn, discover and absorb their world.

BABIES FEEL SAFE WHEN THEY

allowed to be independent – pull things from shelves, reach for all sorts of objects
hear calm sounds
see familiar faces
know they are loved
know that their needs will be met (promptly, but not immediately, they still need to experience some sort of discomfort)
see a smile on your face
know what happens next – announcing what you are about to do is not only a fun way to continue daily interactions, but also helps your little angel feel relaxed knowing what to expect next.
are touched, held, nurtured
given an opportunity to concentrate without interruption
spend time in nature

Choices

We need to give them freedom of choice and a sense of being in control and empower their abilities whenever possible. For example, offering to choose one object from two given, such as clothes to put on, or book to read, or a toy to play with by presenting two objects in front and letting the baby reach for the one he or she likes. Usually, you will find that baby’s room has low shelves with only a small variety of toys for the baby to choose from.

Montessori with your baby month-by-month (4-6mo)

4 months old

When it comes to Montessori with a 4-month-old child, there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, it’s important to create a safe and secure environment that allows your little one to explore and learn at their own pace. This might mean setting up a play area with soft toys and plenty of room to move around or simply creating a cozy spot where you can snuggle and read together.

Another key aspect of Montessori with a young baby is providing plenty of sensory experiences. This might include introducing different textures and materials for your child to touch and examine or playing with water and other tactile objects. As your baby grows and develops, you can also start incorporating more structured activities that encourage exploration and problem-solving skills.

Key skills developing: grasping and reaching out. The baby usually starts to reach out for objects. Now is the perfect time to hang a ring on elastic instead of a mobile. The baby will enjoy practicing reaching out for the ring and pulling it in his or her mouth. There are a handful of techniques to hang objects for baby to explore:

I used our bassinet that had a canopy on top which allowed us to hang on mobiles.
baby gym
attaching ribbon to the ceiling

Another way to entertain your bub is to hang a chime bell mobile. The baby will be delighted to hear soft sounds he or she can make all on his or her own.

5 months old

Montessori is a great philosophy to incorporate with a 5-month-old child. At this age, they are just starting to explore the world around them and Montessori principles focus on allowing the child to learn through their own experiences and natural curiosity. One way to incorporate Montessori at this age is to provide a safe and stimulating environment for the child to explore.

This can include simple toys and objects that the child can manipulate and investigate on their own. You can also incorporate Montessori principles by following the child’s lead and allowing them to set the pace for their learning and development. Remember to always provide a safe and nurturing environment that encourages exploration and learning.

Above all, remember that Montessori is about fostering independence and self-discovery in your child. By following their lead and providing a supportive environment, you can help your little one thrive and develop a lifelong love of learning.

Have you noticed that children gain a special fascination with their little feet around this time? Occasionally, you can dress the baby’s feet in a sock with rattles. Alternatively, make exploration socks by sewing simple but fun objects to the end of socks for the baby to explore.

Vocalizing your actions while making eye contact will help engage your treasure in your everyday routine, and make them feel like they are an important part of everything that is happening around you.

Rattles will still probably be your cherub’s favorite toy at this time. You may notice that they start passing objects from one hand to another.
At this stage, the child becomes more independent in their movement. it is important to make sure they are safe to do so.

6 months old

Montessori is a great method to introduce to your 6-month-old child. At this age, they are eager to explore and learn about the world around them. The Montessori approach emphasizes hands-on, sensory learning through play and exploration. You can create a Montessori-inspired environment in your home by providing age-appropriate toys and materials that encourage your child to use their senses and develop their motor skills.

Some great ideas include soft blocks, rattles, and textured balls. You can also set up a low mirror and a sensory basket filled with items such as fabric swatches, wooden spoons, and natural objects like seashells and pine cones. Remember to always supervise your child during playtime and allow them to explore at their own pace. By introducing Montessori principles early on, you can help your child develop a love for learning and foster their natural curiosity.

I found that six months was a good time to introduce themed treasure baskets. Replica animals are great for babies to play with because they have many intricate details they love to investigate and poke with their little fingers. At this stage, the baby tends to spend time sitting up, which gives him or her a whole new perspective of the surrounding world.

There are many gorgeous books to choose from that suit perfectly a Montessori playroom at this age, for example.

Outdoor natural experiences are going to benefit children at any age. Being in nature is the single best gift you can give your little one, it provides a wide variety of sensory experiences.

Raising a multilingual child

Here is a very interesting piece of advice from Isabel – a group member – who shares her knowledge and experience raising a baby in a multilingual environment. Check out her blog packed with great information and inspiration – Uno Zwei Tutu.

” My husband always speaks German and English with our daughter while I speak Spanish and English. I think introducing sign language helped a lot since she was a baby. We would use the same sign in the three languages and I think it helps her to make a relationship between the three languages from a very young age. At only 2 years old she makes 3-5 word phrases in the 3 languages and she still signs”.

And one more great tip from Maryam:

“My nephew is 13 months and is just now starting to say small things verbally, but has been signing “milk” since he was 5 or so months (We’ve signed the basics with him since birth and he always watched attentively) and signed a 3-word sentence at a few days before 12 months. For the most part, he does single signs, 2-word sentences, and some sign babbling. A recent compilation of the signs he’s used showed that he has 40 signs, the majority picked up in the last month.

So my advice would be to be patient and keep going even if you feel discouraged. I still do at times and then he’ll do something that surprises me! I’d also say that it isn’t an issue to start out slow and build up what you do when you’re a little older. A new baby can be a lot of work and there are so many things to figure out and adjust to.

Don’t stress yourself out trying to jump in feet first if you’re also learning the language. Do what you can. Despite my best intentions when my nephew was 10 months and under I only used about 5 signs with him and was as consistent as I could have been. However, he still uses ASL to communicate (and tell people to say thank you and excuse me, haha) so it wasn’t an issue”.

Resources You Might Enjoy

The trouble with talking toys. “That’s bad because the best way a toy can promote language in infants and toddlers is by stimulating interaction between parent and child. There’s simply no evidence that a young child can learn language directly from a toy. It isn’t responsive enough. It isn’t social”. Continue reading here.
Our Montessori Floor Bed Experience
How I Weaned Myself

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