Developing Strong Socialization Skills in Children

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Socialization vs. Socializing

Key mile markers in developing your child’s social and behavioral skills at Loudoun Montessori are:

Self control
Empathy
Verbal communication

Socialization is a process that encompasses both learning and teaching how to behave in society. Socializing is the act of mingling or mixing together. So, when your child is learning how to get along with others, also known as socialization, a part of the process is including opportunities for socializing, but they are not in fact the same thing. Socializing includes play-dates and regular school attendance, but we shouldn’t assume that our children are learning the right behavioral skills.

Why Loudoun Montessori Includes Multi-Age Groups

Although socializing at play-dates is important and enriches your child’s life, the best way to learn about self control, empathy, and verbal communication is by interacting with older children and adults. A cornerstone of the Montessori curriculum includes multi-age groupings that fosters peer learning. Younger children learn from older children and older children reinforce their learning by teaching concepts they’ve already mastered. This mirrors the real world, where people socialize with others of all different ages and dispositions.

We believe that the importance of a pre-primary education for children leads to more successful lives. Young children who are grouped by age rather than by social development can’t give each other directions for proper social interactions. They’re all typically in the same social situation where they’re learning how to exhibit self control, how to relate to one another emotionally, and how to clearly communicate those feelings and thoughts.

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Including different age groups fosters a healthier environment for developing social skills in Montessori schools. Older Montessori students can contribute to a positive learning environment by displaying skills like:

how to process negative feelings
how to recognize and identify other people's emotions and reactions
how to express sympathy
how to develop healthy relationships with one another
how to develop skills for conflict resolution
how to take responsibility for their own emotions and actions

A Group Effort

At Loudoun Montessori we believe that the success of your child's social development is a group effort between the teachers, students and parents. We strive to aid in the successful development of your child's social, behavioral, and cognitive abilities. The children at our school are just as excited to come in each day as the teachers to inspire each other towards independent learning. Inside or outside the classroom, the Montessori experience benefits your child in ways you would have never thought of. Learn 5 reasons why you should consider Montessori.

Loudoun Montessori School was established in July 2016 by two seasoned and knowledgeable Montessori teachers. Their goal was to give Loudoun County families an exceptional Montessori experience. If you’re interested in coming in and seeing first hand why so many parents choose Loudoun Montessori, call us at (571) 291-2875 and schedule a tour today.