Your child will learn as he goes with you on a walk, to the grocery store, and to the library. But you spend most of your time at home, and that is a great place to encourage learning. How do you set up a learning space for your child? It doesn’t have to be complicated. Maria Montessori believed in developing environments where a child can explore freely and independently.
What does the home learning space look like?
If you’re going for the bare basics, be sure to include a child-sized table and chair. Add some low shelving to store materials, and your child will have a place to call her own. She’ll love it because it is made for her, and it allows her to explore the activities you provide without help from you or a booster chair.
If you want to go a little further than the basics, think about the space from your child’s perspective. Hang artwork at her eye level. Place a plant on the floor or a low shelf instead of a high windowsill. Keep a laundry basket in the room to hold a few favorite toys. Make sure there is a place for everything and everything in its place. Having order is key to developing peace and allowing the child freedom to operate independently in this home learning environment. Allow your child some freedom to decorate the space herself, but discourage messiness.
What kind of materials should you keep in the learning space?
Buy a set of trays, and on these trays place the materials for various Montessori-friendly activities. There can be counting trays, animal trays, world geography trays, and sensory trays. Learning should be about many things, so don’t feel limited to only a handful of activities. Try incorporating one of these fun activities in your learning space.
You should swap out activities and materials frequently. Keep your child’s curiosity piqued with new things to learn. You might consider a seasonal activity, or a themed activity to go along with something that is happening in your life (for example, a musical-instrument tray would be appropriate before and after you attend a concert).
Does your child love books? Keep a few great books on an accessible shelf, but don’t overwhelm him with too many books. If you own quite a few, or if you get new ones frequently from the library, make sure you are swapping them every once in awhile.
Toys are learning materials, too. Be picky with what kind of toys you allow your child to play with. The things he uses during playtime should have a purpose. Shy away from noisy toys that only exist to be annoying. With toys, too, remember that less is more. Keep rotating them, and your child will be less likely to become bored!
What about kitchen activities?
Children learn so much in the kitchen! They can read a recipe, follow directions, develop manual dexterity and coordination, and thoughtfully consider the tastes of the people they cook for. Most of all, kitchen work is sensory-intensive. Children touch, smell, taste, see, and hear all in the same activity! So why is it so difficult to get your child to help with kitchen work? Mostly because the kitchen is made for an adult worker, not a child worker. Keep child-friendly kitchen tools in an accessible place for your child. Or, if you have a small learning space for your child, keep his kitchen utensils there in a bin. When you are making food, allow him to have his own ingredients. Always make sure your child is using real kitchen tools and real plates and bowls, not toys. The real thing is the best thing!
When creating a Montessori learning environment in your home, strive for real purpose, your child’s independence, and order. These key elements allow maximum exploration and interest in your child’s home life. Above all, love your child as a real person who deserves a peaceful environment to call her own.
Sources:
http://www.montessori-namta.org/The-Prepared-Environment
https://carrotsareorange.com/how-to-create-a-montessori-at-home-environment/
https://blog.hudsonmontessori.org/5-montessori-activities-using-items-you-already-have-at-home/
