Your child’s Montessori preschool includes good behavior concepts like gratitude in a variety of ways throughout the school day. Whether they are taking turns using a particular activity, participating in group activities, or performing daily routines, gratitude plays a key role in the Montessori environment.
Sharing is Caring
Obviously, there are a limited number of activities available in the Montessori preschool classroom. And that creates plenty of opportunities for children to practice social graces and show gratitude when it is due. Simply learning to say thank you after being given permission to do something is a major step toward learning to show gratitude toward the kindness of others. Just as it is customary to say "thank you" after someone passes the peas at the dinner table, showing gratitude for permissions and external assistance keeps the classroom more focused and avoids conflicts.
Group Activities
When the class has all sorts of group activities, even sing-alongs, it is a great opportunity for practicing social skills like gratitude. Asking for and receiving permission helps keep everything moving along smoothly, avoiding potential conflicts as it instills the concepts of asking and giving into impressionable young minds. And that point is worth remembering because children come into the world as a blank slate that is absorbent and willing so long as that need is fulfilled and encouraged.
Respect and Inclusion
The ability to show gratitude when it is due is vital in developing respect for ones and others. It is an important leadership skill that plays a role in helping children become included more often in more ways. Respect is all about showing gratitude and deferential behavior, and it is important that children develop the skills necessary to both show appreciation and to accept it.
Anywhere your children go, they will have plenty of opportunities to practice displays of honest gratitude. From thanking the clerk for his service to showing gratitude for someone holding the door, life is filled with people interacting, and every interaction involves respectful behavior and appropriate shows of gratitude.
