Personal Care and Daily Rhythm in Blue Blocks Montessori Children: A Home Observation Study

This paper reports findings from a structured home observation study of personal care and daily rhythm among children attending Blue Blocks Montessori School, Hyderabad, India (N=99 observations, mean age 4.37 years). Using parent-completed forms developed under the Blue Blocks Embedded Observation Protocol, the study examines how Montessori principles of independence, daily rhythm, and practical life are enacted in home routines across six domains: sleep, dressing, fastening, toilet hygiene, eating, and food preparation. Results show strong adoption of consistent daily schedules (83.8%) and broadly autonomy-supportive parenting styles, but reveal developmental gaps in sleep independence (only 23.2% of children falling asleep without adult presence), fastening skills (47.5% not yet independent), toilet hygiene, and screen-free mealtimes (32.3% consistently using screens during meals). The study contributes the first systematic parent-reported characterisation of Montessori home practice in an Indian urban context and provides an evidence base for targeted home–school partnership in early childhood Montessori settings.