Montessori classrooms provide a relaxing and respectful learning environment with minimal decorations and natural furnishings. Although not decorated in a traditional sense,
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Why Are Montessori Classrooms So Inviting?
Even if you’ve never stepped foot in a
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One of the greatest benefits of the
How to Setup an Attractive Montessori Classroom
To teach the
- Practical Life
- Sensorial
- Math
- Language
- Cultural
By designing the space this way, the classroom is intuitive and conducive to a child’s needs at multiple developmental stages—allowing them to progress at their own pace. Most
- Designated learning areas. The
Montessori classroom is divided into multiple learning areas dedicated to practical life, sensorial, math, language, and cultural experiences. By breaking up the room into designated learning areas, the children can take on experiences they encounter in the real world in a less overwhelming environment. - Minimal wall decoration. Unlike a traditional preschool classroom, decorations in a
Montessori classroom are kept to a minimum to maintain a relaxed and calming environment. Any decorations used inMontessori classrooms are generally both practical and simply designed. - Natural furnishings. One of the most attractive features of a
Montessori classroom is the use of natural furnishings. Instead of utilizing colored desks and chairs that are found in a traditional classroom,Montessori classrooms stick to a clean aesthetic with natural wood furniture. TheMontessori design also favors integrating more circles into the layout instead of harsh rows. - Soft lighting. Warm, soft lighting helps promote a comforting environment that reminds children of the warmth of their home. This provides a much more calming environment than traditional fluorescent lighting.
- Structured organization. The
Montessori classroom prides itself on its relaxing atmosphere, which is aided by using a neat and practical organization method that encourages self-driven learning. Using predictable organization methods for classroom supplies, toys, and educational items helps the children to build confidence.
While no two
Learning Areas to Include in a Montessori Classroom
A Montessori classroom is broken up into five learning areas, creating a place where children have a sense of freedom and enhance their independent learning, self-discipline, and exploration skills. The five areas of a
Practical Life
When children are in the practical life area of the
To set up
- Self-care
- Environment
- Manners
- Courtesy
- Control of movement
- Concentration
- Independence
Sensorial
Sensorial activities allow a child to explore their senses, discover the different elements of their environment, and help children in discrimination and order. In this learning area, students will be exposed to sensorial tools to help them learn how to classify and organize objects by their shape, color, and size.
Sensorial activities will work to enhance their skills related to:
- Vision
- Touch
- Smell
- Taste
- Hearing
- Movement
Math
In a
The math curriculum helps
- Counting
- Decimal system
- Memory work
- Concrete abstraction
- Arithmetic operations
- Geometry
Language
In the
When in the language area of the classroom, students will be focused on:
- Phonetics
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Word usage
- Sentence structure
- Composition
Cultural
Cultural studies in a
While teaching children around the world around them, they’ll be learning:
- Geography
- Zoology
- Science
- Botany
- Spanish
- Mandarin
Additional Areas of Montessori Learning
Science
When a child is in the science learning area of a
Arts
Self-expression is important for young, developing children and the Montessori curriculum helps to promote their artistic voice. The art curriculum includes activities like painting, drawing, music, singing, movement activities, and crafts.
When creating your safe learning environment, find a way to incorporate each of these learning areas into your
The Benefits of the Montessori Classroom Design
The
- Minimal Distractions – A traditional classroom setting is designed with bright, bold colors and decorations—providing ample distractions for students and creating a chaotic space. The
Montessori classroom limits the amount of visual stimulation in the space to minimize any distractions, promoting a relaxed and calm environment. By eliminating common distractions from the classroom,Montessori teachers can facilitate better engagement in group activities. - Learning Areas – The specific learning areas of the
Montessori classroom helps to promote independent thinking and allow the students to develop skills that are sure to benefit them throughout their entire life. In each of these learning areas, the children will engage in self-directed activity, hands-on learning, and collaborative play that will boost their sense of self. - Comfortable Aesthetic – With the soft lighting and minimal decoration, a
Montessori classroom is much more inviting than a traditional classroom. This can be extremely beneficial for young children who might be more prone to separation anxiety. AMontessori classroom is much more welcoming and less intimidating, creating a safe space for children to learn and grow. - Accessible Learning Materials – The
Montessori classroom promotes independence. Children aren’t able to build skills if they aren’t allowed to do so. To promote this way of thinking, aMontessori classroom makes every toy and educational material easily accessible to all students, instead of storing things away on high shelves. - Child-Led Learning – The design and layout of the
Montessori classroom don’t follow a specific curriculum to a tee. It promotes self-expression in a space where children get to learn discipline and develop real-world habits through its structure and organization.
There are many benefits of a
How to Create an Attractive Montessori Inspired Classroom
Setting up a
Use Form and Function
In the
Don’t Include a Focal Point
Unlike the traditional classroom when desks are set up in rows facing the whiteboard, a
Less Is More
Simplicity is key when it comes to designing your
Setup from a Child’s Perspective
Your goal should be to make the
Use Child-Sized Furniture
Your
Incorporate Beauty Into the Space
Even though
Build Out Learning Areas
When organizing your classroom, separate the classroom into individual learning areas for practical life, math, culture, language, and sensory activities that will help the
Keep the Space Organized
Maintain an organized and clutter-free classroom to instill a sense of calm with your students. Keep decorations, toys, and educational materials to a minimum to avoid overcrowding the classroom and causing a sense of distraction and chaos.
Give Everything a Designated Place
When adding materials and toys to your classroom, create a place for everything, and keep everything in its place when it’s not in use. Young children have a particularly strong sense of order and keeping things in place will help them learn where things belong—and teach them to put things away where they belong.
Set Up the Space to Maximize Independence
Set up your students to develop a sense of independence. To do this, you can organize activities and materials on eye-level shelves and baskets so everything the young children need is easily accessible—look for ways to make it easier for the child to help themselves.
Additional Tips for Setting Up Your Montessori Classroom
- Rotate the cultural learning area on a consistent and regular schedule
- Use rugs to separate the spaces in the classroom and make the room more comfortable
- Limit the number of wall decorations you bring into the space
- Avoid toys and educational materials with batteries and choose wooden toys when possible
- Utilize the real world in your sensorial learning area by incorporating seasonal elements for the children to explore, like leaves in the fall, sand in the summer, snow in the winter, or flowers in the spring
- Ensure that snacks and beverages are easily accessible at the children’s level, teaching them to nourish their body on their own
- Think practical and don’t over plan the layout or materials you’d like to include, the more minimal and clean the classroom, the more inviting it will be for students
- Keep a step stool accessible for the students in both the classroom’s kitchen and bathroom to build up their independence with daily activities like hand washing and meal prep
- Incorporate activities like sewing, knitting, and cleaning that promote developing life skills and improving the child’s concentration
- Create a
Montessori classroom with a comfortable, designated space where students can read or have books read to them - Install open shelves that are easy to organize and easy for students to reach
- Make sure things are at the child’s height—educational materials, toys, plants, furniture, and anything the children will be expected to use
- Group your educational toys and learning materials together in the appropriate curriculum areas to make it easy for children to find what they’re looking for without getting frustrated or overwhelmed
Your main focus when setting up a