Five Ways Pets Support Montessori Learning!
Having your child take care of family pets can be a way of bringing the Montessori philosophy into your home. It develops a number of skills along with many positive character traits, which helps in the development of the “whole child.”
1. When caring for pets, children learn how to express love, empathy, compassion, and respect for other living things. This is part of Cosmic Education – a cornerstone of the Montessori Philosophy, which teaches the interconnectedness of all things.
The Bluebird classroom has been hosting a very special wooly friend for the past few weeks; Jade the lamb.
2. Having pets to care for helps students learn responsibility and gain self-confidence. Whether remembering to feed the pet on time or clean after it, children enjoy taking care of their little friends while learning how to be responsible and empowered.
Odin, Middle School classroom dog
3. Learning grace and courtesy in the way they treat animals helps children extend those concepts to their interactions with others. Kids get to practice using gentle touches with animals by petting them softly and treating them respectfully.
Maple the guinea pig, Maple classroom
4. The ability to understand and properly interpret a non-verbal language is a special skill – and pets offer a great opportunity to master it. For example, when playing together with the pet, a teacher might tell the student; “That sound the bunny is making is him asking for space. Let’s give him some room to feel safe.”
Sunshine the bird, Sassafras classroom
5. Having an animal at home or in the classroom allows children to develop the skills they’ll need when studying science and other school subjects in the future. For example, students get to observe the animal’s habits, grow in curiosity, ask questions, look for clues, make hypotheses, and find answers.
Quilliam Shakespeare the hedgehog, Monarch Classroom
adapted
Back
The Bluebird classroom has been hosting a very special wooly friend for the past few weeks; Jade the lamb.
2. Having pets to care for helps students learn responsibility and gain self-confidence. Whether remembering to feed the pet on time or clean after it, children enjoy taking care of their little friends while learning how to be responsible and empowered.
Odin, Middle School classroom dog
3. Learning grace and courtesy in the way they treat animals helps children extend those concepts to their interactions with others. Kids get to practice using gentle touches with animals by petting them softly and treating them respectfully.
Maple the guinea pig, Maple classroom
4. The ability to understand and properly interpret a non-verbal language is a special skill – and pets offer a great opportunity to master it. For example, when playing together with the pet, a teacher might tell the student; “That sound the bunny is making is him asking for space. Let’s give him some room to feel safe.”
Sunshine the bird, Sassafras classroom
5. Having an animal at home or in the classroom allows children to develop the skills they’ll need when studying science and other school subjects in the future. For example, students get to observe the animal’s habits, grow in curiosity, ask questions, look for clues, make hypotheses, and find answers.
Quilliam Shakespeare the hedgehog, Monarch Classroom
adapted
Toledo Campus
Perrysburg Campus
West Side Montessori is an independent, accredited Montessori school educating children 13 months through 8th grade (preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school). We are one of the leading private schools in Toledo and the nation.
WSM does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic origin, race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability in the administration of its admission policy, educational policy, or any school-administered program.
WSM does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic origin, race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability in the administration of its admission policy, educational policy, or any school-administered program.