When I first became a trained Montessori Teacher, one of my first awe inspiring moments was related to research. To witness children leap into reading non-fiction, with a search for knowledge was amazing. Maria Montessori believed that as a guide in the classroom it was our job to give the world to the children. She knew that intrinsically they have a great thirst for knowledge and a deep desire to learn. As you all know, they are filled with questions! (This post is really directed towards my reader and older friends; however, can be adapted with support from a sibling or parent).
The first step in beginning a research project is to identify a topic that interests your child. You may need to narrow the scope to say: animal, planet, rock, dinosaur, holiday/custom. Once they have found a topic, you can talk with them about their research questions. What does your child wonder? What are their big questions? If you have a notebook, you could write the question at the top of a page. Leave the remainder of the page for answering the question (either with pictures or words). After identifying the questions the students get to use their resources to find answers. If you are giving more support, you may need to read the non-fiction text with your child and then guide them to what they will write. Another option would be to find a podcast that they could listen to in order to gain the knowledge related to the questions. Next is often the most exciting part for children. Make a poster, write a book, draw a picture. Use any creative avenue to present the information. Once they have found a way to put their information into a presentation format, you might want to set up a video call and contact a special person in their life. I would be happy to see any research work:)
The following link is an example of a child completing research on penguins. Enjoy!
https://momtessorilife.com/2020/04/15/child-led-research-projects-with-a-second-plane-child/?ml_subscriber=1400638433264670078&ml_subscriber_hash=n8n6&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=another_week_of_great_montessori_finds&utm_term=2020-04-16