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We are super excited to FULLY kick off family-style meals in our classrooms this year! Thank you to our primary parents and our PTO, with the given supply funds, we were able to obtain glass plates, glass cups, forks, spoons, napkin clothes, placemats, and a dishwasher for every classroom!
The classroom community within the Montessori learning environment represents a family between the guides and children who learn, eat, and grow together. That is why family-style meals are an important practice in the Montessori classroom, as it is much more than just enjoying meals together.
How does family-style eating impact our children?
In an early childhood Montessori learning environment, it is important to set the stage for the child to eat meals together. The child plays an active role in the setup, and cleanup routines, taking responsibility and pride in maintaining their learning environment in a neat and orderly manner before, during, and after a meal. Children as young as 18 months of age can learn to handle breakable objects with respect.
Through guidance and careful observation, children learn to analyze the weight of these breakable items and learn how to properly utilize and position them on the tables. As guides, we always make sure to normalize spills or breaks of the material our children handle because we know it is inevitable, and cleaning up is part of our daily instruction. When a child spills or breaks something, as guides, we may ask the child, “What do we need to do when we spill something?” The child may grab a rag or the broom, and the guide would observe or assist as needed. On many occasions within our classroom, other children are ready to help their friends clean up the spill. Through this process, children learn that mistakes are a natural thing, and they are ready to address them, cultivating experimentation, confidence, and independence.
Thank you all for the support in obtaining our family-style meal materials and enriching our students’ Montessori experience!
Written By: Evelyn Negrete
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