As per definition: persistence is defined as tenacity, or continued existence or effort. Generally, persistence would mean to not give up!

Persistence in terms of a child is related to his will to stick to a task. If the child has a little persistence, he will give up on things easily while a child who has learnt to persist will continue working on the task until he achieves success (or at least strives for the best).

You being a parent might not stress on this factor, and might not even associate it with his playing or learning.  Although, persistence is an essential part of a child’s life, for quality of life and for personality development. Only when identified and encouraged!

According to Milton Montessori School System, every child is unique in his temperament and attention span, therefore the level of persistence on a task will also vary.

Here are some real life examples for you to understand the importance of persistence in your child’s life:

• Persistence becomes easy when your child works on something he or she loves doing. When they are asked to do something they love, it becomes easier to get them to persist but it becomes difficult when they are asked to do a task they don’t like or want to do.
• Swimming classes are a great example of continued persistence. It takes a number of lessons and effort to become proficient. The same is applied to sport and musical lessons – children love doing these.
• You as parents and teachers can encourage persistence, by acting as the cheering team and leaders. Use positive phrases as “I am so proud of you finishing that even though it was hard”, “I know you can finish that”, “Congratulations on completing the task so efficiently”, will positively put your child towards the right direction. A reward system, encouragement, a positive supportive environment, making something seem fun, and awareness about the goal are tools that can help promote persistence.

Does your child show persistence (or lacks) while playing and learning?

Persistence in actual is something that is required fir stringing all pieces together and achieve something bigger. Nothing in this world can replace persistence; unsuccessful talented people explain talent cannot, geniuses without a reward are just a proverb and that concludes that education is not even good enough. The slogan “press on” has been able to solve and will always solve problems with belief that persistence and determination are omni-potent.

Ways of Developing a Montessori Persistent Child at Home

If your child has still not joined Montessori education and has a year or two at home, here are ways you can create a persistent child at home by following simple Montessori principles.

Follow Your Child’s Interest – As explained above, your child will stick to the task and will complete it successfully when he or she finds it interesting. Self chosen work has impressive finish results and has a strong concentration of your child with encouragement at completion. This opens up new heights for your child and sets new goals.

Provide Practical Life Activities – Make plenty of practical life activities available for your preschooler. Montessori education has practical life activities as an essential part of their teaching process. These activities help a child develop independence, coordination, concentration, and order.

Demonstrate Activities – It’s important for you to show your child the steps involved in completing the task; from taking material off the shelf to cleaning up at the end and returning things back on the shelf.

Allow Your Child The Freedom of Choice – Allow your child to complete a cycle of activities without interruption, let there be repetition if required. As for sensitive periods, Maria Montessori said: “The child makes a number of acquisitions during the sensitive periods, which place him in relation to the outer world in an exceptionally intense manner. Then all is easy; all is eagerness and life, every effort is an increase of power. But when some of these psychic passions die away, other flames are kindled and so infancy passes from conquest to conquest, in a continuous vital vibrancy, which we have called its joy and simplicity. It is through this lovely flame that burns without consuming that the work of creating the mental world of man takes place.”

Let Your Child Do Things on His Own – As per Montessori Philosophies, children are helped for helping themselves. Maria Montessori said: “These words reveal the child’s inner needs: ‘Help me to do it alone.’” Montessori school systems have built in control or errors, so if a child makes mistake he can easily identify it. When the child is allowed to take control of things on his own, he or she will learn persistence and will reach success.