Montessori Homeschooling: Process Over Product

When we think of children ending a day of learning, what often comes to mind are images of children excitedly showing work to their parents. Maybe it's a worksheet, a project, or a piece of homework to complete before dinner.

But in a 3-6 Montessori class, a lot of the work done won't have anything to show, and here's why:

At Wildflower, our focus is on process over product.

We don't just want your children to create mounds of stuff and call it learning. In fact, much of the learning that happens in the 3-6 class is actually nearly invisible.

Lessons that build confidence, self-esteem, or reliance on Allah...

Lessons that engage the senses, challenge the mind, and build independence...

And lessons that improve a child's social-emotional regulation during a sticky situation with a friend don't often result in a tangible product to show you that learning has happened.

You have to trust the process.

And what is that process?

It's trusting that Allah, subhana wa ta ala, created your child to be capable of learning all of the time.

It's trusting that your child will learn and grow at their own pace and comparing them to their friends and family isn't necessary.

It's trusting the foundational approaches of alternative education that focus on the whole child rather than just their academics.

It's trusting that our amazing team is supporting and guiding your child in the best ways possible.

Its trusting that the Montessori environment is carefully created to encourage your child to learn and grow.

It's trusting that this journey of home education you chose allows you to play a more active role in your child's learning and over time you will grow to be intimately aware of how your child is doing and what their needs are.

So how can you gauge their learning?

Observation

Observation is the number one way to see growth in your child. Watch them. And watch them without interrupting them. If they have learned to be more indepednet in dressing themselves, you will see them dress themselves. If they have learned to be more advanced in their reading, you will see them attemtping to read more. If they have learned to regulate their emotions better, you will see less big outbursts in frustrating moments. Watch them and get to know them. Look specifically at their focus, their attention, their care and discipline.

Conversation

Talking to your child reveals a lot. But make sure it's a conversation and not an interrogation. Too often parents ask a ton of questions of their child as soon as they leave the co-op when what the child needs is simply rest and relaxation. Your child will talk when they are ready and they will tell you all about their day. Their experiences, their games, the new things they saw, and the stories they remember, it's all learning.

Pay Attention to Their Play

A lot of times what a child has learned comes out when they play. When a chld plays, they make connections between the things they learned and solidify it. Phrases will get repeated, storylines and characters get incorporated, new rules and manners get introduced, and new abilities suddenly start showing up. AS they grow and change so will their play.

Remember your child is on a journey of learning and tat journey is not going to be complete in a day, or even a year. As much as tangible products are nice to look at, its is vital to value and encourage the process of learning (even when we can't see it).