The Basics of Montessori- The Environment

When I started "The Basics of Montessori" post, I thought I would just put all the basics into one but then I thought that the environment plays such a big role that it deserved it's own post.

The environment plays a tremendous role in Montessori Education. It may be fair to say that the Montessori Method is pretty useless without the proper environment (for those with toddlers, this is mucho important). The reason for this is because, as stated before, Montessori is a CHILD guided learning method in which the child is expected to make their own choices and follow their own interests. If an environment is lacking in appropriate, accessible and/or stimulating materials, it is much more difficult for a child to self-guide. 

The Montessori Environment follows the following principles:

Not Too Little, Not Too Much

There needs to be the right balance when it comes to the quanity of materials provided. If a child receives to few options, he may not be able to learn to his fullest capacity. If a child receives to many options, she may be overwhelmed and shut down altogether (or develop "behavioral issues". It is thought that many children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD were given too much stimulation when they were younger.).

Note: This idea bleeds over into the reading material presented for children. It is easy to think that the more books available the better but it is better to mindfully present books and reading material that is appropriate to both age and subject matter.

Just My Size

It is absolutely vital that the furniture in a Montessori environment be child-sized. It is incredibly helpful if much of the furniture is "real" in the sense that the child can use it. (Examples of this would be child-sized kitchens, real child-sized sinks, table and chairs, a dishwashing station, SHELVES with materials on them, etc.) Also, pictures, plants and other things of the like must be at the child's height so that they may interact with the items. 

Organized By Subject

Each part of the Montessori classroom is broken up into subject areas. In a young children's classroom, this means that there is a kitchen area, art area, etc. In an older children's classroom, it would be broken up into math, language, reading, etc.

Feng Shui?

Although Feng Shui itself is not a part of the Montessori ideal, the flow of a room certainly is. The furniture in a Montessori classroom is moveable and set up in a way to allow freedom of movement. In classrooms that house smaller children, all the furniture is set up in such a way as to allow the teacher to be able to see all the children and be able to reach them in good time if something happens.

Can I Keep Him? PLEASE?

The Montessori classroom will typically house a class pet and often times several non-toxic plants. The pet (usually a small, caged animal) is meant to provide a sense of responsibility. The reason that plants are promoted in classrooms as well is so that children have an opportunity to water and care for them; this ties into the idea that all the objects and materials in the Montessori classroom must be real life.

A quote from a Montessori website that I love:

Montessori stated that there is a sensitive period for order which occurs between the ages of one and three years of age. This is when the child begins to draw conclusions of the world around him. If there is not order to his environment, the child’s sense of reason may be off since he will not be able to validate his findings.