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Why do Montessorians believe that all children should be allowed to work with real materials, real picture representations of animals, real glass, wood and metal utensils, instead of the 'safe' plastic substitutes?

It is because we strive for children to build their reality of life through real experiences. What could be better than exposing our children to what they will be surrounded by as they grow up? Have you ever thought about that if your child is allowed to handle real-life breakable materials, they will develop the skills needed for care and attention when handling materials? Natural consequences are inherent in a Montessori classroom when items break, and the materials are no longer available to work with. Children love their materials, and with only one-of-a-kind material available, they naturally develop concentration, patience, respect for materials, self-control and precision.

One of the characteristics of a normalized child is their "attachment to reality". We strive to provide real material as safely and practical as possible. We want children to develop real skills and habits for living in a real world.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with imaginative/fantasy play, however there is a time and a place for it. Play is the work of the child. Playful learning is accomplished through many aspects of the Montessori philosophy. Play is beneficial for children in a variety of developmental areas, and different types of play is associated with different stages. The Montessori Method of teaching is dedicated to meeting all of the developmental needs of the "whole child". Montessori guides (the teachers in a Montessori classroom) must consider play as a developmental area. They observe and guide the children's movements in the classroom to support their growth. These areas should contain the same preparation, analysis and sequencing as all other areas of the classroom.

By engaging in real activities with purposeful meaning, the children develop real abilities, which fosters their independence and control of their lives. These exercises help children adapt to their environment. The aim of these activities is both practical and developmental. They help build upon the children's concentration, independence, self-discipline, among many other things.

Dr. Montessori emphasizes the use of real materials in the classroom. She believed that imagination is the natural inclination of the child; it stems from what is real. To stimulate children's imagination, give them real objects and a real understanding of the world. While it is natural for children to be drawn to fantasy, it is the knowledge from the real world that can enrich their ability to imagine and create.

Dr. Montessori wrote: "Yet, when all are agreed that the child loves to imagine, why do we give him only fairy tales and toys on which to practice this gift? If a child can imagine a fairy and fairyland, it will not be difficult for him to imagine America. Instead of hearing it referred to vaguely in conversation, he can help to clarify his own ideas of it by looking at the globe on which it is shown."

There are many things you can do to incorporate a sense of reality in your child's home learning environment as well. Most importantly, the use of Practical Life (dish washing, care of environment, and so forth) is truly beneficial. This is probably one of the best ways to give your child real life experiences and help them obtain real life skills. Provide a basket with kitchen utensils for them to explore. Teach them to properly handle glass, instead of plastic cups. Instead of the plastic musical instruments that have over-stimulating lights and sounds, let your child experience real instruments. Plant a garden, let them work with the soil and care for real plants...the list is endless. It is important to encourage children to explore, to enter the world of real things and make genuine discoveries that will have value to them.

You can also review Tim Seldin's book, How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way, and read about his thoughts on "Glass in the Home". It is an interesting read and elaborates a little more on the points covered here!

Young children absorb and remember every nuance of their early home environments. The aim is for you to design activities that will draw your child's interest and to create prepared surroundings that are harmonious and beautiful.

Montessori is beautiful! It gives the child the opportunity to work with real materials, in real life situations. Our goal is to teach the child life skills that can be used outside of the classroom. The best way to foster that type of learning is to attach them to the environment, and to their real surroundings.

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Why are Real Materials so important in the Montessori Classroom and at home? | SpringStone Montessori Preschool

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Why do Montessorians believe that all children should be allowed to work with real materials, real picture representations of animals, real glass, wood and metal utensils, instead of the 'safe' plastic substitutes? It is because we strive for children to build their reality of life through real experiences.

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Imagine your 4-month old feeding herself with a spoon. Your 18-month-old joyfully picking out his clothing and dressing himself. Your 2-year-old helping her baby sister put on her shoes. This is the power of Montessori at work in the lives of young children.

Dr. Maria Montessori, the Italian educator and scientist who, more than 100 years ago, developed the system of education that bears her name, knew that during the period from birth to age 3, your child's brain develops more rapidly than at any other time, and more learning takes place than at any other stage of development. Yet many parents don't seek out formal education until their children have passed the toddler age.

Recognizing the importance of these formative years, the Montessori approach to infant and toddlers supports starting earlier than that.

In a Montessori environment, your infant or toddler will be with teachers-loving, nurturing, and rigorously trained in child development-who create peaceful, supportive, and safe environments for our youngest children. In these spaces, a child's natural passion for wonder, curiosity, exploration, and discovery comes alive.

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Montessori Programs for Infants and Toddlers

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Imagine your 4-month old feeding herself with a spoon. Your 18-month-old joyfully picking out his clothing and dressing himself. Your 2-year-old helping her baby sister put on her shoes. This is the power of Montessori at work in the lives of young children.

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Infants Need Very Specific Furniture to Promote Independence and Self-Care

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Infants Need Very Specific Furniture to Promote Independence and Self-Care

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There will be a rocking chair for bottle feeding, and an area for the children to sit while they eat at a weaning table. Younger infants will be changed on a changing table, engaged in conversation and explanation of what is happening, while older standing infants will be changed in the bathroom standing up, holding onto the counter for stability. While the infant is changed in the bathroom space, they are exposed and observe others using the toilet and eventually will do so themselves. You will see floor beds for sleeping and the children will lay down for rest as they feel tired throughout the day.

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Materials and the Beauty of the Physical Space Require Time and Money

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Materials and the Beauty of the Physical Space Require Time and Money

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A Montessori Environment must be beautiful and inviting. Each child should walk into the space and be embraced with a sense of comfort, a sense of community, a sense of home. As P. Donohue Shortridge says, “The child feels safe in the Montessori prepared environment because his needs are met respectfully and faithfully” (Shortridge, P., 2011). It is important that the classroom has a clean and orderly set up, decorative paintings on the wall, real, authentic pictures, plants, and shelves filled with attractive materials, organized in a simple and approachable way. All of these aspects will engage the child and encourage freedom of choice, without adult influence.

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An infant room includes key components of a Montessori environment such as freedom of movement, choice, and materials accessible to the child and appropriate for their age and development. When you walk into an infant room, the environment will have simple and appropriately sized furniture to promote independent movement. There will be low shelving with soft, tactile work that can be explored by all senses, especially the mouth. A baby learns and develops the capacity to walk without being taught this skill because the need and urge to do so is so strong. During this sensitive period, as the child continues to grow, mature and develop, the movements and coordination of that child do too.

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Open Space Promotes Independent Movement 

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Open Space Promotes Independent Movement 

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As adults, we must provide time and an appropriate environment that allows the child to explore, wiggle, crawl, scoot, stand and eventually walk. So, when you enter an infant room, you will see open space in the room to freely explore floor movement. There will be a comfortable matt or cushion, a pull up bar, mirrors, mobiles hanging from the ceiling to watch as the children explore back and tummy time.

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“Despite their easy freedom of manner, the children on the whole gave the impression of being extraordinarily disciplined. They worked quietly, each one intent on his own particular occupation. They quietly walked to and fro as they took or replaced the objects with which they worked. They would leave the classroom, take a look at the courtyard and then return. They carried out their teacher’s bidding with surprising rapidity.” (Montessori, 1966, p. 129) 

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“Despite their easy freedom of manner, the children on the whole gave the impression of being extraordinarily disciplined. They worked quietly, each one intent on his own particular occupation. They quietly walked to and fro as they took or replaced the objects with which they worked. They would leave the classroom, take a look at the courtyard and then return. They carried out their teacher’s bidding with surprising rapidity.” (Montessori, 1966, p. 129) 

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“The child needs to do things by himself from the beginning of life, from the moment he is capable of doing things. We have so often heard children of a few years say: “help me to do it by myself.” By helping the child to do things by himself, you are helping the independence of the child.” (Montessori, 2007, p. 9) 

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“The child needs to do things by himself from the beginning of life, from the moment he is capable of doing things. We have so often heard children of a few years say: “help me to do it by myself.” By helping the child to do things by himself, you are helping the independence of the child.” (Montessori, 2007, p. 9) 

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When the environment is always arranged the same way, the child begins to rely on that sense of order and wishes for each object to continue to have its’ own place. As these senses of order are developed, the child begins to trust the environment and feels secure in the world around them (Montessori, M. 1995).  

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When the environment is always arranged the same way, the child begins to rely on that sense of order and wishes for each object to continue to have its’ own place. As these senses of order are developed, the child begins to trust the environment and feels secure in the world around them (Montessori, M. 1995).  

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Montessori Supports Development and Educates the Mind, Body and Soul

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Montessori Supports Development and Educates the Mind, Body and Soul

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As adults, we often assume that our task is to mold or shape our children. We sometimes feel like we need to teach them to learn or think in specific ways, but that could not be further from the truth. Children learn on their own time, at their own pace, driven and inspired by their own inner need to develop, grow and mature to their fullest potential. What our task really is, is to assist in development by observing, preparing the environment, and providing the proper materials and opportunities that correspond and align with each child’s inner needs at the right time.

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A Montessori Environment must be beautiful and inviting. Each child should walk into the space and be embraced with a sense of comfort, a sense of community, a sense of home. As P. Donohue Shortridge says, “The child feels safe in the Montessori prepared environment because his needs are met respectfully and faithfully” (Shortridge, P., 2011). 

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A Montessori Environment must be beautiful and inviting. Each child should walk into the space and be embraced with a sense of comfort, a sense of community, a sense of home. As P. Donohue Shortridge says, “The child feels safe in the Montessori prepared environment because his needs are met respectfully and faithfully” (Shortridge, P., 2011). 

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Maria Montessori believed that “the first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the adult.” (Montessori, M. 1996). She believed in the freedom to explore. She emphasized the importance of providing opportunities for children to follow their interests and inner urges to engage in those interests.

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Maria Montessori believed that “the first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the adult.” (Montessori, M. 1996). She believed in the freedom to explore. She emphasized the importance of providing opportunities for children to follow their interests and inner urges to engage in those interests.

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The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori

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Every Montessori environment must also meet the developmental needs of each child both socially and intellectually. As children mature and develop, they become more aware of the people around them, and how they fit into their world.Children learn to be kind, they learn to encourage, and they learn what it means to help others. A strong sense of compassion and empathy is instilled and developed as the child becomes more socially aware. The prepared environment fosters social interactions and encourages these skills to be practiced independently. The intellectual needs of the children can only be met if all of the other facets of the environment are recognized and engaged. The purpose of the environment is to develop the whole child, socially, emotionally, mentally, not just intellectually.  Through providing opportunities and materials to grow in practical life, sensorial, language, mathematics and social studies, the child is able to develop and hone that skillset. Children are successful in learning with various sensorial, tangible materials, that progress from simple to complex, and concrete to abstract.

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"All are agreed that with proper care and help the child has it in him to grow to greater strength, to attain a better mental balance and a more energetic character." (Montessori, 1995, pg. 15)

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"All are agreed that with proper care and help the child has it in him to grow to greater strength, to attain a better mental balance and a more energetic character." (Montessori, 1995, pg. 15)

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"This is education, understood as a help to life; an education from birth, which feeds a peaceful revolution and unites all in a common aim, attracting them as to a single center." (Montessori 1995, pg. 17)

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"This is education, understood as a help to life; an education from birth, which feeds a peaceful revolution and unites all in a common aim, attracting them as to a single center." (Montessori 1995, pg. 17)

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Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori

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Maria Montessori defined the goal of education as "the development of a complete human being, oriented to the environment, and adapted to his or her time, place and culture." (Lillard 1996, Pg. 3)

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Maria Montessori defined the goal of education as "the development of a complete human being, oriented to the environment, and adapted to his or her time, place and culture." (Lillard 1996, Pg. 3)

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Montessori Today by Paula Polk Lillard

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"The teacher's task is not to talk, but to prepare and arrange a series of motives for cultural activity in a special environment made for the child." (Montessori 1995, pg, 8) 

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"The teacher's task is not to talk, but to prepare and arrange a series of motives for cultural activity in a special environment made for the child." (Montessori 1995, pg, 8) 

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The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori