Montessori Mondays - The Summer Months

Many schools are finishing up the year in the next few weeks and if you choose to keep your child at home for the summer break you may be wondering what/if you should do any education at home. Just having finished a series of posts breaking down Barbara Hacker's 101 Ways To Help a Montessori Child, my first suggestion would be her last, "Enjoy life together." If you do have the luxury of spending some time with your child, seize it! There are lots of work books you can find in bookstores to prepare your child for the upcoming school year, but these warm months are perfect for you and your child to discover nature and grow a strong relationship with each other as well as with the community in your area at large. Being in a classroom environment has begun to teach your child social skills with others in his age group, but if you take a trip out to the park, volunteer at a food bank, or go to the zoo your child will learn how to interact with older children as well as adults that they don't come into contact everyday. The summer months are also great for toddlers to just run, climb, and jump to their heart's content honing those gross motor skills all the while.
My second suggestion is to carry some shell of your child's routine at school into his daily time at home - meaning try to keep meals and naps regular. As far as works, I would talk to your child's teacher about any interests or materials that your child is drawn to, especially simple, practical life activities that your child can do at home. If you child can talk, ask him what he enjoys at school and then see if it is possible to find similar materials to fulfill that sensitive period in your child's learning. Otherwise, let learning be an impromptu experience guided by daily activities with your child. If you find something that you really want to show and share with your child, go for it because your enthusiasm will likely rub off, but don't force an activity that at that moment you nor your child is curious about.
Lastly, I would recommend, if you have some moments, to delve further into articles and research out there about the Montessori method and what to expect in the upcoming school year if your child will be transitioning to a primary classroom. This way, you will be able to talk with your child over the summer about the new environment and expectations that he will have when school starts again. If he will be returning to the same school, be sure to also mention the familiar faces he will see. If you don't know where to start, browse through some of my past Monday and Friday posts for some resources about Montessori and talk to your child's teacher.