Hello there! I am excited to be able to share this photo tour with you of our Montessori Newborn Class for small babies and their parents. The starting age for this class is 6 weeks – 7 months old from the first day of the term. Newborn Class is offered every Thursday and Friday from 9:30-10:30. You can find more details and join the waiting list at the link above.
Montessori Classes are child-led so each week is different as the babies’ interests and skills advance. The structure of the class as well as the other students in the group are the same each week to support the child’s need for routine and community.
1.Entering
Your child’s Montessori class starts as soon as you enter the school.
Parents help the babies come in and lay down on one of our floor-mats or carpets to remove their outside layers of clothing.
2.Montessori Work Cycle
The classroom is fully prepared with educational materials which support every stage of Baby’s motor, visual, and cognitive development.
Parents decide which movement area to start the work cycle.
From there, Baby can choose from the available materials or work with a mobile.
Parents offer only 1 or 2 materials at once, removing materials which are not in use. Baby will indicate which material or area they are interested in exploring by looking or reaching in that direction.
Parents have time to connect with each other, to speak with the Montessori teacher about any questions, and complete their weekly observation worksheet.
The teacher moves around the classroom, working with each baby on different skills that the child is currently focused on learning.
3. Montessori Snack Time
Babies sit together around a low table. They can sit on the parent’s lap or in cube chairs.
Every week we explore a new food. Even babies who are not eating yet enjoy watching, touching, and smelling the fruit or vegetable of the week.
Babies explore tiny cups and silverware and can learn to drink water from a cup if they are interested.
4. Music Circle
During Music Circle we sing in English, German, and any other languages present in the group. Sometimes we use instruments or play silks.
Babies lay on their back with their feet towards their parent, in a circle. They really enjoy hearing the music and watching you sing and dance. Mobile babies may prefer to lay on their belly and move around during the music.
At the end of class we sing goodbye to each baby. 🙂
Thank you for reading!
If you would like to participate in this class in the future, you can join the waiting list HERE! If your baby has not been born yet, you can use your due date and write “Baby” in the Name section.
The Montessori environment is a shared space where ALL toys are shared.
If a child is concentrated on something, it is unavailable to other children. If an object is not in use, it is available to any child.
The adult sets this limit is a kind, but firm way.
We enforce this limit whether our child is the one who has taken the object or the one who’s object has been taken – whether you are at home or on the playground.
Preventing Conflict
example scenario between toddlers, Sam and Francis
“Sam is using the paints right now. Would you like to use stickers instead?”
“Francis, it looks like Sam is working with that right now. It will be available soon.”
“Sam, are you trying to say this is your work, but it will be available soon?”
“Let’s go wash our hands while we wait for this to become available.”
“Sam, may Francis and I watch you work?”
TANTRUMS
If a conflict causes a tantrum in either child, we pause to let the child release their emotions about the situation. We let them know we understand how they feel and comfort them. When they are calm we make amends.
RESPONDING TO CONFLICT
“I can’t allow you to take Sam’s work, but I can show you something else that is interesting. ”
“I see that you are upset, Francis. You really want to play with that. It will be available soon.”
“I understand that you are very interested in this, but Sam hasn’t finished yet. We have to return the ball to Sam for now. It will be available soon.”
“Sam, I understand that Francis took your work, but I can’t let you hurt him.”
“I am going to gently take this and return it to Sam.”
when you don’t know who started it: “I can’t allow you to fight over this. I am going to gently remove it and you can both try again later.”
Sharing Between Siblings
shared objects
Between siblings we can follow the same guidelines. If it is in use, it is unavailable. If it is available, either sibling may use the object.
It is not necessary to buy multiple of everything.
personal space
It’s nice to have a place in the home which is especially prepared according to each child’s interests, especially for siblings of different ages. They can still venture into either space or use the objects on either shelf when they are available.
At any age, sometimes a sibling might need alone time.
“Jamie, it looks like Francis wants to be alone right now.”
“Francis is working at the moment. Let’s come back when he’s available.”
“Francis, are you trying to say that you want to do this alone?”
In Montessori we aim to give children the information they need to understand the world at their stage of development, as well as provide the tools they will need to thrive in this world.
When your child asks you about death or they experience the death of something or someone, here are 6 things you can do: be honest, give practical information, read books together, explain any spiritual beliefs without ambiguity, share your feelings, and allow the child to say goodbye.
1. Be honest.
Explain death in an honest, direct, and non-emotional way. Death is a natural part of life. This is the frame of mind to be in when having discussions with your child about it.
Avoid using phrases like “they left”, “they went to sleep”, “they flew away”. This is misleading because if someone dies they cannot do those things and the child could be confused as to why they don’t just come back or wake up. They may develop fears of sleeping or of loved ones leaving and not coming back.
Until your child asks you for more information, you don’t need to explain why someone died. This can lead to confusion or fear about illness, ageing, accidents, etc. When they do ask for more information, be truthful and factual about what you can share. Avoid general phrases like, “when someone gets old/sick/hurt..” and refer specifically to the reasons why this one animal or person died.
A simple and brief explanation for when an animal or a person dies:
Their body can no longer sleep, eat, walk, or talk. The animal/person does not return. Their body is then buried in the ground (for example) and we keep the memories we had of them when they were alive.
A simple and brief explanation for when a plant dies:
The plant can no longer grow. It cannot take water from the soil or make food from the sunlight. When a plant dies it becomes the soil and helps other plants to grow.
2. Give practical opportunities to learn about death and impermanence before it happens.
A glass when it breaks is no longer a glass and the pieces can no longer be used. Every time something breaks without the chance of being repaired is a lesson you can share with your child on impermanence and fragility. It is important to let them know that things breaking is a natural part of life, even when it was an accident. It is not a negative thing or a positive thing. It is just what happens sometimes. Material objects, like our physical bodies, are not as important as the things we do with them while we have them.
If you happen to have plants or pets at home, this is an opportunity to teach your child about physical needs and lifespans. If a plant gets too much water or not enough water they will die. The lifespan of a gerbil is about 2 years. It is our job as caretakers of our plants and pets to take care of them, love them as well as we can to give them a happy life, and enjoy our time with them. This healthy experience with life and death provides a reference for children when facing other kinds of loss.
3. Share age-appropriate books with them about death.
Even if your child has not known someone who has died, they may already know about death and have questions. Reading books with your child a good way to talk about it and help them understand more. Having them available at the child’s level allows them to open the book and revisit this topic whenever it’s on their mind. Children often want to repeat the same conversations with you about death (or any other topic) to confirm what they know.
The Goodbye Book Written and illustrated by Todd Parr view on Amazon HERE
This is a book for young toddlers which could be about death or just the emotions you feel when someone goes away, as it doesn’t mention anything specific about death. It is about a fish in a fishbowl who misses his friend. He is sad at times and happy at other times when he remembers all the fun they had together.
Always Remember written by Cece Meng, illustrated by Jago view on Amazon HERE
This book is my favorite of all three of these. It is about an old turtle, who we never meet directly in the story, but we hear about the different things he did during his life and all the ways that his friends will “always remember” him. It is beautifully written and illustrated.
Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children Written by Bryan Mellonie, illustrated by Robert Ingpen view on Amazon HERE
This book is fascinating for older toddlers and preschoolers. It is beautiful and honest. It talks about how death is the natural end to life and describes the lifetime and death of things like plants and insects.
4. Share your spiritual belief about death, if you have one.
When sharing a religious belief with a child, it is important to pair it with the physical explanation of death as well. If you only offer a spiritual explanation about death it can be confusing and even scary to the child who does not yet fully understand the abstract meaning.
5. Share your feelings
When your child shows their emotions regarding death (fear, sadness, confusion, anger, guilt, or no emotion at all) we want to validate and acknowledge their feelings. Talking about the child’s thoughts, translating the child’s emotions into words, and teaching them how to express their feelings in a safe space, are all very important. Offering hugs, giving a pillow to hit when angry, allowing for alone time, having a visual or verbal cue for strong emotions, offering to draw feelings, are possible ways of teaching children how to express their emotions.
EQUALLY IMPORTANT is translating your own feelings and modelling how you process your own grief. It’s okay to cry in front of your child. It’s okay to explain why you are feeling upset. You are showing your child through example that their feelings are real and teaching them how to manage them.
6. Allow your child to say goodbye.
When a person dies funerals or celebrations of life can be overwhelming to a child. In preparation for this, we can explain to them what will happen and what to expect. In addition to this, find a time when the child can say goodbye to the loved one with just you. You can sing a special song, write a note, leave flowers, or some other kind of simple ceremony.
For pets or plants or even for a bug found outside, the child can be included in a small ritual for saying goodbye if they want to. These experiences all help to normalise death and form a healthy relationship with it.
Personal Note:
This blog post was difficult for me to write, but I am glad that I have done it now. Considering death from a child’s perspective and practicing the ways to discuss it without fear is helping me in my own process of grief and acceptance. I know that I have to do the work to heal my feelings about death first so that I can give my daughter a healthy understanding of this part of life when she starts asking about it.
In 2019 my mother died suddenly at the age of 44. One year later I became pregnant with my first baby, a daughter, who I named Jennifer after my mom. Keeping her memory present in my home and sharing her photos with Jennie is very special and important to me, but it has also been painful and complicated. A book that has given me strength is Motherless Mothers by Hope Edelman.
I share this because I know that understanding this healthy approach to death is one thing, and putting it into practice is quite another when you have experienced painful losses. I hope that this information will be helpful and that we can become stronger and in turn be better models and teachers to our little ones.
Montessori Ikea Hacks – part 1 is by far the most popular post on this blog. Since 2019 both our Montessori classroom and my IKEA hacking skills have come a long way, so I am sharing some before and after photos from those original areas posted AND 4 more corners of our school which were made from IKEA furniture. I really love IKEA, can you tell? 🙂
Toddler Woodworking Station
The woodworking station is a special place of pride for our students. Humans have the natural tendency to use tools to do their work. Because of this, the presentations for these materials are very short because children as young as 12 months can use them intuitively. Older children use this area to make their own, small constructions. 🙂
HOW TO USE:
Each tool has its own pre-prepared block which fits into the table insert. This keeps the block stable, isolates the difficulty of the tool, and supports the sensitive period for order.
The tools are arranged from least to most difficult, bottom to top, right to left. This is useful for a mixed age classroom, or for different-aged siblings using the work station at home.
The presentations are hammering nails, wearing goggles, unscrewing screws, cutting soft balsa wood strips with a saw, sanding, and drilling holes. There is a small broom and dustpan available for sweeping up sawdust.
Older students usually prefer to work here while sitting in the chair, while babies prefer to sit on the floor or work while standing.
We teach safety and respect for the tools by setting limits on how and where they may be used. Safety goggles are available and the tools may be used with or without them. We don’t use gloves in this area because they get in the way of the child’s precision.
HOW TO MAKE (photos linked)
Work blocks, table insert, and balsa-wood sawing dowels are homemade by Chad, woodworker. and Montessori guide. Custom orders can be made to montessorimothermatierlas@gmail.com
Toddler Library
This library is a simple, cozy place, bright with natural light, where children can easily choose their books and read them. They love to sit on the reading bench. The little table and chair is also available because it’s more comfortable to read large books there.
TIPS:
Avoid layering the books so they don’t fall down when the child chooses them.
Limit the number of books on the shelves, keeping the rest on your adult bookshelf or put away.
Rotation: keep the child’s favourite books on the shelf. Switch out books which are not often read or damaged books.
Hang the shelves at the child’s level, very low to the ground, so that they can reach even the top shelf.
If you have vintage books or treasured books that the child can only read together with you, keep these on a higher shelf within the child’s view so they can let you know whenever they want to read it.
Model respect for books by handling them very carefully and not setting them on the floor.
Try to read only one book at a time, putting them back on the shelf after looking at them. This helps to support concentration.
HOW TO MAKE (photos linked)
Plant Care Areas
Having living plants at home teaches children how to care for living things which are smaller than them. They learn about the different needs of plants and the benefits and consequences of how their needs are met. If the plant is watered well and kept in the light, it will flourish. If it is watered too much or too little, it will die.
A plant and watering can is a great gift for a child. They can even pick out their own special plant at the store or grow it up themselves from a seed. The plant table is a special place where the plant lives and where you keep the watering can and towel.
HOW TO USE:
Fill the watering can yourself and invite the child to watch you water the plant.
Slowly pour half the water into the soil, using two hands.
Set the watering can down on the table and invite the child to try. The child will then water the plant or possibly spill on the floor or try to drink the water. This is okay because they are learning!
Use the sponge or towel to wipe up the spill.
Invite the child to re-fill the pitcher of water by themselves. If the child is still not walking yet, fill the pitcher again for them with a very small amount of water from another pitcher which is kept at your height.
HOW TO MAKE (photos linked)
Parent & Child Dressing Area
A child-sized dressing area helps children to be responsible for their personal items and practice self-dressing. This area includes a child shelf, an adult shelf, adult changing chairs, a child changing bench, and both low and high coat hooks.
HOW TO MAKE (photos linked)
UPGRADES IN OUR CLASSROOM
1. Art Area
BEFORE
AFTER
changes:
This easel and clip set up is still the one we use today! The new easel model from IKEA is great in that the height does not need to be modified and the paper roll is easier to use (we have this model at home for our toddler). However, it does not have a tray to hold paint cups. For this reason our trusty IKEA hacked easel is still going strong in our environment and is nearly constantly in use.
We have added another chair and table set to this area.
The chest of drawers is near the shelf and in its place is a Montessori hand washing station, strategically placed for washing painty hands. 🙂
This lamp was replaced for the lovely IKEA FUBBLA lamp. The only drawback with this one is that the button for turning it on and off is very tough and only our 2+ year olds can manage to push it completely.
We added a hook to the wall for the apron, so it would not be in the way if a child chooses not to use it.
Hidden behind the easel we have a small Tesla tape dispenser to easily hang up wet paintings and tape paper sheets to the easel at the bottom.
In Montessori also offer 3 colours of paint at a time now, rather than just two. In Montessori Baby Classes we either offer 1 cup of paint or only the crayons.
We now use a paper roll which is 60cm wide which covers the entire easel surface, giving the children a larger and more obvious surface to paint on.
We changed the old unfinished wooden frames for the plastic FiSKBO frames which are easier to keep clean.
2. Toddler Work Area
BEFORE
AFTER
changes:
These tables had to be replaced after much use and love. We now use the KRITTER tables from IKEA, which have also been shortened to stand at 38cm tall.
The chairs are still the same as we have had since 2018! We have only broken 1 chair out of 15 in all this time!
Our wall art is now displayed in the plastic HOSTVA IKEA window frames. They are a little crooked, because we have to drill new holes after them being pulled down so many times. 🙂
The table and chair set in this area now lives in the middle of the space, with the shelves against the wall. I find this to be more inviting for the children to sit down and work.
3. Self Care Area
BEFORE
AFTER
changes:
We have a different tray which allows me to separate the different materials: trying on sunglasses, wiping nose, and brushing hair.
I have added a sign to the waste basket that reads “dirty tissues”
I have added a backpack, a straw hat, and a helmet to the wall hooks to offer more try-on possibilities.
I have a larger lotion jar now and a this little round tray to hold its place.
4. Quiet Corner
BEFORE
AFTER
changes:
In front of the shelf I have added a faux wool carpet, TOFTLUND from IKEA, to make the area cosier.
The bead tracker is in a different part of the Montessori Baby Class environment. Now we have here a large ficus plant for the students to water.
We have a different armchair from Verbaudet. I sewed the cushion cover from the same animal print textile because I loved it so much.
We have a different ball tracker from Nienhuis now in a different place in the classroom. It its place is the scale and weights from Educo with a mystery box base, custom-made for it by Chad.
The books are rotated every term. Now we keep 6 small books in this area, instead of 4. We didn’t have as many books back then. 🙂
Under the aquarium we rotate the materials in each class depending on the age group. During Montessori Toddler Classes we keep two 3D puzzles.
The art is a print by Monet, available on Wikipedia Commons for free. It is hung in a plastic frame, the RIBBA from IKEA.
5. Newborn Movement Area
BEFORE
AFTER
changes:
The walker wagon has 4 rice bags which are used to weigh it down so it rolls more slowly. I sewed handles on the bags so that toddlers can practice loading and unloading the wagon when they are in the Maximum Effort stage of development.
We have a new pillow in this area, LEN from IKEA. And I sewed a fuzzy pillowcase for it. This is used in Montessori Toddler Class when children pretend that they are sleeping or decide to lay down for a rest. In the Montessori Newborn Class I remove this pillow for freedom of movement.
The visual mobile and materials on the newborn shelf are rotated every term. Currently on the shelf we have basket of balls, basket of brushes, sensory wheel, simple threading work – (bottom), posting sticks, outlet puzzle, transparent lock and key, and wooden blocks – (top).
I have added a cloud carpet to the other side of the shelf for babies to work on.
A small, plastic FiSKBO frame is hung on the wall with Tesa tape. The art is “Girl with a Watering Can” by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, available for free on Wikipedia Commons.
In my blogpost Changes at Home When Your Baby Becomes a Toddler I have shared 3 areas of my daughter’s Montessori home environment, which features the classic functional toddler kitchen IKEA hack.
When our baby turned 15 months old she began showing strong signs of self-affirmation crisis, or in other words, becoming a toddler. It was time to make changes in our home to support her during this new stage of life and change areas to better meet her needs. In this blog post I will share some ages and stages of young toddlers and practical life areas for toddlers at home.
Signs and expressions of self-affirmation:
Walking
Increase in tantrums
Interest in practical activities/household tasks
Resistance getting dressed, changing diaper, brushing teeth, etc.
Interest in water
Desire to help adults
Can follow a 2 step process
Can follow simple instructions
Strong feelings towards and against things
Preference of choosing between two things, even two of the same thing
Definition of self-affirmation crisis:
This is also called the “Opposition Crisis” or mistakingly referred to as the “Terrible Twos”. In a person’s second year of life there is an explosion of language which parallels the self-affirmation crisis. At this moment the child learns his favourite word: “no.” They don’t necessarily say it because they don’t want something, but because they want to be respected as a individual with their own point of view.
Changes in the child:
The child starts to gain more physical control of themselves and their surroundings.
They understand that they are a completely different person from their caregivers and start saying “no!” Children test the limits and seek a deeper understanding.
She starts showing more uncertainty and having conflicting ideas and attitudes. Due to this humanisation, the child is prone to frustration and bursting into tears.
By three years old the ego has been nearly fully formed. By the end of this period the child will use the pronoun “I” instead of “me” or saying his name. This signifies the completion of personal boundaries and the beginning of knowledge of the self in contrast to others.
Ideas for changes in the home
The first area we changed was in the bathroom. As discussed in the Toilet Awareness Workshop we added a simple potty, carpet, and sink to the bathroom when Jennie started walking.
Now we added a small mirror, towel hooks, wall art made by Jennie in her Montessori Baby Class, which we placed in a plastic frame. After making these changes Jennie noticed immediately and started to use this area more frequently for its intended function, rather than just exploring it.
The next space was a self-care area in her bedroom. This is a small table made from a cube chair turned on its front. The mirror is stick-on plastic and non-breakable mirror. The blue container is for hair bows and is from Tiger Copenhagen. The wooden tray is from Ikea and keeps tissues for nose wiping. The wall hooks are secondhand from HM Home and the matching bags were made by hand by a friend. We use them for cream, sunglasses, hair clips and hair ties, and a brush and comb. The first day we set it up Jennie was so excited that she spent an hour exploring all these materials. She now uses this space every day.
Finally we made this little kitchen for Jennie which is still in progress. So far she uses it only for drinking water and taking her snacks, but eventually I plan to set it up for simple cooking activities and dish washing work.
The kitchen is from Ikea, bought secondhand. The cutting board was custom made by Chad. The water dispenser is made of plastic and it’s very easy to use. I attached it with velcro stickers so Jennie can easily push the button. I also found these lovely trays which fit perfectly, also at IKEA. The enamel trash can also comes with a cute lid, but it’s too distracting and hard to open for the time-being. On the side I have attached stick-on hooks for her dustpan, broom, mini mop (from Kaufland, no link), and wash cloths.
Finally I bought a role of adhesive foil on Amazon to add some color to the space. The mat and wall art are both from IKEA. These additions are mainly cosmetic, but making the space beautiful is inviting and attracts the child’s attention. They really appreciate all the little details.
And that is all of Jennie’s new practical life areas at home for the moment now that she’s a big, grown up toddler. 🙂
Final Thoughts
Since making these changes we have noticed a lot less tantrums and frustration. She is also so proud of herself when she knows where to do things and where the materials go. It was so simple and inexpensive to make these small changes for her and has made a big difference in our daily routine.
More ways to help children during the self-affirmation crisis:
Activities like riding, pushing, jumping encourage their physical development. They provide opportunities for positive output of energy.
Offering 2 choices as often as possible helps to resolve and prevent problems without creating strife between child and parent.
Offer two acceptable choices, for example: “Do you want to go to the beach or to the park today?” “Do you want eggs or porridge for breakfast?”
This shows respect to the child because you asked for his opinion.
2 choices also has the huge advantage of teaching reflection. The child has to consider before he answers. Starting this early helps children to be able to make bigger choices in the future. In situation when there is no possibility for choice, you must be firm and honest. Set the clear limit and enforce it consistently in a loving and respectful manner.
Welcome to our classroom! We are happy to share these beautiful moments with you from our Montessori Preschool Class (3-6y). If you are interested in the class, you can find all the details and join the waiting list HERE.
These photos were taken by the lovely family photographer, Natalia Smirnova.
Thank you for viewing! We look forward to meeting you and your little one soon!
Example Preschool Environment: Guidepost Montessori
Montessori Preschool Class is a 2 hour weekly class for children 3-6 years old to attend with one parent or caregiver allowing you and your child to learn together and bring the Montessori approach home with you!
The class is based on Dr. Montessori’s Casa Dei Bambini, a primary school which allows young children to fulfil their whole learning potential at this critical age through child-led exploration and a prepared environment.
Our materials allow children to learn writing, reading, math, geography, practical life skills like sewing, cooking, woodworking, and so much more! In every class the children will amaze you at what they are capable of when every opportunity is provided for them. To get a picture of our materials and how the children learn through hands-on experience, see the individual areas of our expanding classroom below!
Our current collection of materials represents an introductory class environment for children 3-4 year old. As these children grow, along with our school, we are increasing our collection. We intend to open the doors to our complete 3-6 classroom in March 2023!
Our teachers are AMI-certified Montessori guides with years of experience and a profound love for each and every student. You can meet our team here!
Currently we offer classes ever Monday from 15:00-17:00 and from March 2023 we plan to offer these classes every day! You can join the waiting list and receive updates by filling out this application form!
To learn more about the Montessori Mother Preschool Expansion and get involved you can find full expansion plan HERE!
Sensorial Materials
The Montessori Sensorial materials have been time-tested for over 100 years! They are one of the pillars of the Montessori approach, enabling children to refine all 10 of their senses.
Example:
While the child stacks the 10 blocks to build the timeless Pink Tower, he trains his motor control, his visual precision, and is introduced to the metric rule of 10. The blocks are then used as measuring tools and visual aids for the proceeding materials.
Here is one of our lovely shelves dedicated to sensorial materials.
Writing and Reading
Although in traditional schools children learn to read and write from 6 or 7, we find that the best time for children to teach themselves how to first, write and then, to read, is closer to 3 and 4 years old! From the first sandpaper letters to the grammar analysis materials our students are reading books by 6 years old and they LOVE it.
Example:
A 3.5 year old child starts with a puzzle then uses our wooden letters to match the starting sounds of the words to their letter Peach, Cherry, Watermelon…. Then crafts those letters out of clay or writes them with a water paintbrush onto a chalkboard. A passion for calligraphy and the intrigue of sounds and their symbols continues and grows until the child can write their own name cards to match to their pictures.
Here is one of our shelves dedicated to writing materials where you can see our tracing letters, wooden moveable alphabet (on top) and all of our writing materials. The bottom shelf holds more sensorial materials for refining the tactile and visual senses.
Math
There are SIX groups of math materials in the 3-6 classroom: numbers 1-10, decimals, counting, abstraction, memorisation, and fractions. Starting with understanding quantity and the number symbols, by the end of their time in the Montessori Preschool Classroom, children have learned to divide numbers by the thousands!
Photo: our shelf dedicated to the introduction to numbers 1-10. As you can see this is just the start of our mathematics area because it is one of the largest and most expensive parts of the primary classroom. Our focus currently is teaching all the students to recognise the numbers and have a strong understanding in concepts of quantity, adding, and subtracting numbers from 0-10.
Geography and Biology
This is one of my favourite areas of the preschool classroom as our international community includes families from every continent. Children not only learn the countries, continents, landforms, and bodies of water, they learn about the cultures, animals, plants, foods, et cetera which come from each place.
Example: A three year old child chooses a country from map puzzle and finds it on the globe. Then they find the flag of that country, the corresponding animal replica, name card, landmark replica, and photo of a view of that country. Although they might not have been there, they build a knowledge of that place and a respect for its culture, widening their world view with every minute spend working in this area of their classroom.
We currently have the first globes, maps, and early puzzles in rotation on our shelf, but this is an area I plan to expand on significantly in our classroom and include a geometry cabinet of all kinds of objects and photo cards to be sorted and grouped with the continents, countries, and ocean puzzles.
Practical Life Skills
Practical life is the link to the classroom for toddlers entering the preschool environment. At three years old the children are already familiar with cleaning, cooking, and self care, and this area includes all their favorite materials with an elevated level of challenge. New materials include ironing, polishing silver, sewing, woodworking, tending the garden, grinding spices and making tea, and so many other beautiful activities which allow the child to learn lifelong skills.
For example: The child knows how to thread beads using a needle – now those skills are elevated to embroidery and perhaps the child will use them to sew a purse or pillow or weave a cloth on the loom.
The practical life area in our classroom extends throughout our entire school as the children have their own complete kitchen, washroom, woodworking bench, herb garden, cleaning area, self care area, various washing stations, and of course, this shelf of lovely materials. Children can use their materials to polish, sew, wash, grind, grate, braid, screw, spray, and explore their curiosity whenever they want. That’s why this shelf is found right in the middle of the room.
Art and Music
Our art shelf continues to offer interesting opportunities for children to develop their creativity. We also have a music shelf complete with various instruments. In the future we plan a large expansion of our music area to include materials for learning notation (how to read music) and discern the notes on the scale using their auditory sense.
Food Preparation
Every class children enjoy a meal which they help prepare together. Children can also prepare a snack for themselves or use materials to make clay or pasta. The table is beautifully set by the children with flowers they arrange themselves and the napkins they have ironed and folded. This is perhaps the greatest visual of their great capacity for independence and mutual consideration.
Our classes are fully equipped in this area already and in the future we plan to set up a full child-sized kitchen complete with countertops, a mini stove and refrigerator. 🙂
Grace and Courtesy
Grace and courtesy is a fundamental concept of Montessori, which is an education for world peace. The activities promote self awareness and social awareness through control of movements and exercises of sound and silence. The two most well known are the ceremony of passing the bell (without making it ring) and walking the line (without faltering).
