Prepared Montessori Environment: Classroom Set-Up

611 Words3 Pages
Montessori’s analysis led her to create schools that were truly suited for children. By adapting the environment and surroundings to the child’s size and nature, the Montessori classroom became a place where children could relax and learn. She had carpenters build child-sized tables and chairs which could easily be moved about without adult help. She also brought in rugs and mats because she’d observed that young children like to work on the floor. Montessori stated that young children process (absorb) everything through their senses. A well-prepared, child-centric environment is a sensorial one which reflects beauty, simplicity, and order. It provides well-chosen materials and activities which are required for learning. Everything is carefully chosen by the Montessori teacher in order to best facilitate the child’s learning. Unlike many overly-stimulating childcare centers which rely on the use of color, sound and movement, the Montessori classroom is designed to minimize things that may over-stimulate and distract. The Montessori classroom uses physical space and time that allows for concentration, design which allows children to find, use, and replace materials easily. Walls are painted in neutral colors. Shelves display a few objects at a time. This prepared environment provides a calm, neutral, quiet background that encourages and supports learning. In a Montessori room, the prepared environment is very important. It is designed to meet these goals: • Be attractive, welcoming, and conducive to learning • Have a space large enough to accommodate all the children, providing them with free and comfortable movement • Provide areas for all the activities each day • Provide and store equipment for the personal care of young children • Provide materials designed with a self-correcting control of error • To allow the adults to view all the children and get

More about Prepared Montessori Environment: Classroom Set-Up

Open Document