Montessori for ages 0 to 3

Gaby Velázquez, our 0 to 3 AMI trainer, joined the Montessori Education with Jesse McCarthy podcast to talk about Montessori for ages 0 to 3 and share valuable insights about children in this age group. Gaby and Jesse find synergy in exploring subjects such as tantrums, setting limits, and learning from mistakes, offering tools for your daily life as a Montessorian, whether you are a parent or guide.

She shares personal experiences in the classroom and at home that might help you feel less alone. Providing many examples of daily situations, she discusses brain development and how Montessori addresses the child in each stage physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Approaching limits for ages 0 to 3

We particularly appreciate her approach to limits, as shown in this example:

“There is a wrong idea that toddlers are messy, that they cannot follow rules. That is completely the opposite. They rely on limits and order. Limits for them are like railroads. They need to have the railroads so the train can go from one place to the other. If you don’t have them, the train cannot go anywhere. And this is very important during these first years.” – Gaby Velázquez

When setting limits with toddlers, we should emphasize the environment and accommodate it to find success in the child, instead of resorting to the “traditional, known way” of punishing and yelling. By meeting the child with order and offering choices, we guide them to find solutions independently.

Attitude of the adult in the Montessori Environment

In a Montessori environment, we treat the child with respect, as we would an adult. Limits are completely linked to independence and are necessary for the child to become independent. Maria Montessori always refers to “freedom within limits,” which are the two sides of the same coin. You need limits to be free, and to be independent, you need the freedom to find and do the things that are good for you.

Head over to Spotify and listen to this wonderful podcast. You’ll find a lot of fundamental insights for both parents and educators. When we embrace Montessori during these formative years, we empower children to thrive, explore, and foster independence. These are principles that we can implement in our daily interactions with children in the home and school environment so they can flourish and become confident individuals.

Click on the following link to listen in Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/66YI8nZAWT2DRHTuVIYDR9?si=d76a732c65a34451

You can also find more in formation of our upcoming 0 to 3 Montessori courses in this link: https://montessoristoppani.us/guide-course/