TOP TIPS - CREATING A MONTESSORI ENVIRONMENT AT HOME
The thought of trying to achieve a Montessori environment for your child at home may seem daunting, but really, it shouldn’t be. By adapting just a few home elements to mirror the kind of environment your child experiences at school will really help to cement their learning.
Here are our top tips for achieving a Montessori environment at home.
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Have as many low shelves as possible, so that all activities can be reached easily to foster independence.
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Avoid the temptation of big mixed toy storage buckets. Although they make clearing up very easy, it is hard to find anything in them without tipping the whole lot on the floor. It can also cause frustration for children when they cannot find what they are looking for. If possible, everything needs to have a place.
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If storage allows, rotate toys and books. Have only a few out a time. If you have any high shelves, you could use these to keep the materials not in use. Research has shown that if faced with too many toys, under 5’s can’t concentrate on one thing long enough to actually learn from it as they are too tempted to rummage through everything on offer without ever fully engaging themselves in one activity.
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In the kitchen, have a low table or use steps up to a counter so that children can help themselves to water and snacks. Leave a jug and glasses out and the snacks that you would like your children to eat. Even consider placing all the suitable food on a low shelf in the fridge.
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Encourage your child to help out at home where possible. This is a good introduction to care of their environment but also encourages other lifelong skills; maths through laying the table, sorting and matching through helping with the laundry etc.
“Whilst applying every one of the above points may not be practical for every home, there will be elements that will be surprisingly easy to include” says Dipti Kanani, owner of Casa dei Bambini Montessori School in Hampstead. “You’ll be pleased with the results that these changes can achieve for your child.”
Have a look at this clip about setting up your home for Montessori children to get you started.
If you would like to visit our Montessori school and nursery to see these principles in action, please contact us to arrange a visit. We can discuss how the above changes can help to bring Montessori and its proven educational philosophy into your home environment.
Casa de Bambini Montessori School