Implementing Chores with Children

If you walk into a Montessori early childhood classroom, you will find children cooking and cleaning. Have you ever tried to get your child to pick up after themselves at home, and it’s turned into a disaster? You’re not alone!

It may seem daunting to include your toddler or preschooler in chores. It’s going to take so much more time, right? Unfortunately, that’s likely. But trust me, the earlier you implement chores into your child’s routine, the easier it is in the long run. Implementing chores at home has so many great benefits!

• Chores support your child’s development! That’s right. Folding laundry, loading the dishwasher and sweeping the floor support your child’s cognitive and motor development. They also support critical executive functioning skills needed for children to follow directions, make decisions and complete multi-step processes.

• Chores boost independence! Functional independence is the goal of the first 6 years of life (or the first plane of development in Montessori terms).

• Chores create a meaningful role for your child. Children want to be contributing members of a family. Including children in chores invites them into that role.

Doesn’t that sound magical? Do you feel like it might take some actual magic to get your child to do chores? Here are some things that might help:

• Start small. Don’t expect your child to be folding their laundry and vacuuming the floor over night. Start with simple one-step chores like folding washcloths or loading their cup into the dishwasher.

• Grow the chores with your child. As your child grows and masters new skills, chores can become more advanced. Folding washcloths can grow to folding towels. Before you know it, they will be loading their clothes into the washing machine independently!

• Don’t make everything a game. That’s right. Chores aren’t always fun and that’s okay. Remember that young children have the internal motivation to take pride in a job well done. Creating a game out of chores can often make it harder to keep chores in place as children get older and novelty of the game wears off.

Three Ways to Make the Most Out of Reading at Home

Reading out loud is one of the most meaningful ways families can support their child’s literacy development at home. Research has shown that just a few minutes of reading out loud a day can have a big impact. Reading out loud supports literacy development and fosters connection. Even children who are fluent, comprehending readers still benefit from being read to.

Here are a few simple ways you can elevate reading at home:

1. Name the author and illustrator, along with the title, each time you read a book. This practice only takes a few extra moments and can have a big impact. For children over three, give a quick definition of author and illustrator. “The author is the person who thought of the story and wrote it down. The illustrator is the person who thought of the pictures and drew them.” Preschool aged children are beginning to explore expressing their own thoughts through writing and drawing. This habit of naming the author and illustrator will elevate that phase of reading and art development.

2. Model using books carefully. Hold books in your lap or at a table when you read. Practice turning the pages extra carefully. In my classroom, I read the words on a page first then hold the book up to show the pictures. This models how to hold a book carefully when you read.

3. Use the language for the parts of a book. Give the names for the spine, cover and page numbers. Point out the table of contents if there is one. Remember that children have an unlimited capacity for new vocabulary and love to classify things. Naming the parts of a book helps children classify new information from something concrete in their daily routine (reading) AND offers new words. Win win!

The Montessori Three Period Lesson

The Montessori method is based on developmentally appropriate practices, from the prepared environment to the Montessori adult's language. New vocabulary and concepts are given in what is called a Three Period Lesson. In Discovery of the Child, Dr. M lays out the three-period lesson (Montessori, 1949). 

First Period: This is where we give the child the information, whether it's the name of an object or an abstract idea. "This is a sphere." During this period, the brevity of language is so important. Brevity is concise. It puts the focus on the exact thing you are teaching the child. It isolates the difficulty of the concept. "This is blue." "This is nine." "This is /g/." 

Second Period. During this period, we ask the child to demonstrate recognition of the new vocabulary or concept. "Point to the sphere." The adult repeats the new information during this period, reinforcing new language or new concepts. For more significant ideas, this period can last for several lessons. During the second period, new activities can be introduced to reinforce the information. The child retrieves the sphere from across the room. The child matches the colors at two different locations. 

Third Period. During this stage, the child is asked to recall the information by naming it. "What's this?" Montessori guides use careful observation before the third period. They observe for signs that the child knows the information before asking them to recall it in the third period to avoid putting them on the spot. 

The three-period lesson is a simple but beautiful thing. The three-period lesson not only offers and reinforces new information, it acts as an assessment tool. When coupled with observation, the three-period lesson can be used to gauge a child's understanding of a concept. Can they bring the correct thing? Do they need more practice? Are they ready for the next concept? 

Adults can use the three-period lesson at home! Remember, children have an unlimited capacity for new vocabulary, especially when they are in their sensitive period for language. Be sure to use observation before asking the child to recall the information in the third period. There are limitless opportunities to give your child new language! 

Montessori, M. The Discovery of the Child. Kalakshetra Press, India.