How to Prepare Your Classroom
Montessori Environment
The Montessori environment is a combination of the classroom, teacher,
outdoor classroom and garden, and all other facilities. It should be
welcoming, attractive and orderly. It is set up for thinking and
learning activity.
Montessori understood that a child’s environment developed a child’s
brain. It is perhaps one of the most important aspects of Montessori’s
approach and philosophy.
Furniture-
1. The furniture should be low enough to accommodate a child’s height
and body proportions. Tables and chairs should be varying sizes and
heights to represent the various sizes of children.
2. Tables and chairs, in fact all the furniture, should be light and
easy enough for the child to move. There is a control of error built
into moveable furniture in that the child realizes he or she has been
careless when the furniture moves or is knocked over.
3. Light furniture and table tops that show dirt and spills. A child
will be able to easily see the soiled furniture and clean it.
4. Furniture should be left to make noise. Montessori classrooms don’t
put felt pads on the bottom of chairs or tables. The noise of pushing a
chair under a table shows a child how to carefully and quietly to push
a chair under a table.
Chairs-
1. Chairs should have large seats and short legs. There should be a variety of sizes.
2. Different styles of chairs-chairs with arms, chairs without arms, wide stools, etc.
3. Chairs should be made of wood that are woodgrain or light colored
chairs that show dirt marks. The chairs should be made for scrubbing.
Rugs-
1. Rugs are provided for activities such as the pink tower, broad or brown stair, red rods, and number rods.
2. Provide a rack or a large rubber band to roll up the rugs. Rugs that
are not too soft roll the best. You can fold the softer rugs and place
them in a basket or cupboard.
Tables-
1. Take into consideration the apparatus and the shape of the room when
picking out tables. The tables should match the chairs in that there is
the proper space between the chairs and the table for sitting purposes.
2. Provide different tables suitable for different activities. Some tables can be for individual work and others for group work.
3. Tables should be wood grain or light colored material that can be washed.
4. Children should be able to move the tables, so they should be light enough.
Shelves and cupboards
1. Shelves and cupboards should be low enough for children to reach
items from the very top. They should be able to dust the bottom to the
top of the shelves and cupboards.
2. They should be lightweight enough for children to move and clean behind them.
3. The spaces should be the correct size for the apparatus, which is always kept in the same spot.
4. They should be light in color and look attractive.
5. You can make curtains instead of heavy doors for your cupboards.
Artwork and Paintings
1. Beautiful artwork and reproductions are important for children under
the age of 5. Remember to hang the pictures at eye level. You can
purchase artwork such as reproductions in postcards, posters, or sculptures.
2. Change the pictures and artwork periodically. Just have a few paintings or sculptures at a time.
3. Provide vases and flowers for the children to arrange and care for.
You can use dried flowers, branches, and other types of flora when
flowers are no longer abundant in the winter months.
4. Dishes and glasses made of china and glass. It’s important for a
child to learn how to use breakables with care. I would start slowly
with a teacup, and work up to more breakable tableware. Also, small
china pitchers are a good beginning for practical life skills.
Cleaning Materials
1. Buy or adapt to the right child size, brooms, scrubbing brushes,
dish brushes, dust pans and whisk brooms, dusters, sponges, spray
bottles, etc. Keep the cleaning materials in an attractive caddy. You
can cut off brooms and sanded the tops. Make sure the items are good
and attractive quality.
2. Cleaning products. I like to use natural products for cleaning.
Health food stores have wonderful natural cleaning products, soaps made from
peppermint, lavender, almond, etc.-Also, soda is a good, safe abrasive
cleaner. Diluted vinegar is also a wonderful cleaning product. Cleaning
should be done to keep the living area tidy. Of course, children will
clean the same item more than once!
3. Brass, Copper and Silver. I like to use natural cleaners for these
as well. Brass and Copper can be cleaned with tomato catsup.
Silver can be cleaned by putting aluminum foi l(shiny side down)lin the bottom of a pan,
add warm water, a teaspoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of soda. Soak, rinse and buff with a clean cloth.
Other items needed in the classroom-
According to your children’s ages and development-
1. Sensorial apparatus for children under the age of six.
2. Cultural material according to age and development.
3. A complete library or access to a library. Books such as story,
picture, reference, science, art illustrations, poems. Also educational
videos or DVDs and music CDs, records or tapes.
4. Material in the room should be at the developmental level of the
children. Remove material they have outgrown. Also, it is important not
to put in material that is above their level.
5. Art supplies-crayons, scissors, paint, brushes, pencils, paper and chalk.
6. Chalk board or white board.
7. Materials for taking care of the environment.
Restroom and Closets
If you don’t have low toilets and sinks, have a safe step stool for
reaching the sink and toilet. A full-length mirror helps a child see
himself/herself to make sure they are properly dressed. Have a
container for personal hygiene products, such as toothbrush, tooth
paste, comb, etc. Low coat hooks and pegs or a lowered bar
in the closet. Small hangers for clothes. Again, everything
should have its place and items kept in order.
Garden and Play Area
The garden area should be ideally next to the classroom. It should be
small enough for the children to take care of the area. At home supply
stores you can purchase small spades with short handles, rakes, watering
cans etc. Also, an outdoor broom for sweeping the paths is useful. The
play area can include a sand pit with sand shovels, containers, sieves,
ideally, trees for climbing or climbing equipment, building
materials-wood, nails, hammers, etc.
Teacher/Parent
One of the most important aspects of the Montessori classroom is the
teacher. She/he is a part of the attractive environment; she/he should
be well groomed. The teacher’s part is to show how the equipment is
used. Also, a large part of her/his job is to keep the classroom well
maintained. There should be perfect order; the children and the teacher
should try to maintain this together. They should even mend items
together that are in disrepair. Anything that can’t be repaired by the
students and teacher needs to be taken out of the room until it can be
mended.
The children’s prepared environment promotes freedom, work and inspiration for learning. It always allows for activity.