August 11, 2008 10:37 AM
Montessori Monday - pincer grasp
To me, Montessori is all about building on your child's God-given potential for learning - and loving to learn.
Maria Montessori's theory is based on the idea that the child has sensitive periods when they are most receptive to learning and that if the environment provides proper cues and encouragement, that that learning will take place with joy and satisfaction - leading to a lifelong love of learning.
So when does a mom start implementing Montessori ideas at home?
For moms who are interested in the Montessori approach, I would recommend reading Mommy, Teach Me! and Mommy, Teach Me to Read! as early as possible - even before your baby is born. That's because I wrote the books not as "how to" books, but as "why" books. Yes, the Montessori-structured activities are good for children, but even better is a mom who understands the way her child is developing and who can then tap into her own creativity to release her child's learning potential.
I tried to cover the stuff found in other more weighty volumes in a succinct and reader-friendly way so that moms could absorb the principles and make small changes with great results.
Raising children, we can begin to see that even the small things matter a lot.
Take pincer grasp.
Did you know that your child's preparation for writing begins the first time he reaches for a Cheerio? Yes, most children will go through this naturally - but how much more rewarding our experience as mothers when we see the way our child's growth unfolds. And also, for moms with children with special needs, how important it becomes to understand these small details because we have to focus on stimulating our children to work a little harder.
From my archives:
Now, this is a mom with good instincts. Some of us who grew up without younger siblings or poor parenting have to start from scratch to rethink how to do things with our own.
Here is what is great about this lunch scenario:
1) Lincoln is feeding himself - which encourages independence. Later he will learn to use a spoon, but the hand-to-mouth control will be already established.
2) Lincoln is having lots of practice with pincer grasp - which is vital to his later ability to wield a pencil or pen. The earlier this practice comes, the better - and food is a great motivator to practice :)
3) I like the way the mom handled it when Lincoln banged the plate - simply removing it. After a few repeats of this, he'll learn that plates aren't for banging.
4) Mom is carrying on a conversation. Mealtime is about so much more than eating - it's about social interaction and good feelings and loving the people in your family. This kind of early focus sets up a pattern for later on - when you will reap the blessing of having your teens and adult children linger at the table, wanting to talk with you.
For anyone who wants to tap into your child's inner Cheerio:
This is such a cute book - and a fabulous way to encourage even the youngest child to develop pincer grasp and hand control - which both lead to better writing skills later on. The pages have recessed circles where the child can oh-so-carefully place Cheerios one by one. This is the first in a series of Cheerios books. Check the used copies at Amazon for as little as one cent each
As your child grows, there is lots you can do to encourage pincer grasp:
Give him a bowl of clothespins. Demonstrate slowly and carefully how the clothespin opens and closes. Then demonstrate how to open the clothespin and close it on the side of the bowl. We take it for granted, but opening a clothespin takes a lot of small muscle control which your child is just not developing.
Pegboards, puzzles with knobs, any exercise involving sorting or tweezing - all these are practice in pincer grasp.
Also: Stickers, coloring books, and pincer grasp
Pictures of Montessori at home can be found here:
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| Mommy, Teach Me! |
Posted in Homeschooling, Montessori, Montessori Mondays, Mothering, Preschoolers, Toddlers | Permalink
Comments
What interesting timing. Today was the first day I gave George (6 months) a strawberry/apple puff (from Gerber Graduates) since I finally put his new high chair together. After unsuccessfully trying to grab it with his fist, he daintily reached out and snagged that puff with his thumb and forefinger.
Then he proceeded to stick the puff on his cheek and suck his thumb. Oh well, I tried.
Posted by: Courageous Grace | August 11, 2008 8:16 PM
