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CCOIS: Coordination, Cooperation, Order, Independence and Sense of Self.

These are the goals for the activities in the Montessori classroom. “CCOIS” have nothing (necessarily) to do with academic lessons, although they have everything to do with academic skills. It is so much harder to master any task if it is not tackled with coordination, cooperation, order, independence, and sense of self. These skills can be practiced many times every day: putting on socks, washing dishes, hanging up a coat, painting a picture. It means that your child can have a goal and slow down enough to do it. It means that your child will stay on task until it is completed. It means that she can stop when frustrated, take a deep breath, and try again. It means asking for help when he needs it, but not when he doesn’t. It means having a sense that she is capable. No child, or adult, feels this way all of the time, of course! But, as Montessori wrote: “We are attempting to create a generation of triumphant adults!”

So, how can you help? One way to help, is to set aside the time (I know!) to let your child master the everyday things. When there is no rush, it can be playful and fun, you are nearby, but occupied, so that you are not available to “do it”, but there to say: “Wow, you did that yourself!” (Being “occupied” is a good strategy for not getting sucked into power struggles, or into helping too much) Everything in your child is pushing for him to be independent, why on earth otherwise would they bother to struggle so to learn to walk?