Montessori Education

Hello! For this month, I wanted to dedicate some time to provide tips for a Montessori classroom. I find that there are many aspects of Montessori education that can be brought into all kinds of classrooms! A large aspect of Montessori education is allowing room for the children to experiment and ask questions while they figure out new topics with our support. A large classroom can be quite demanding, but my first tip would be to allow the children to help whenever possible. Setting up a craft? Have the children locate the items. Learning about the alphabet? Provide children the opportunity to find items that are meaningful to them that start with the sound. They will feel included throughout the whole process, which make for a much more rewarding end product.

Another aspect that I believe can be provided in any setting is choice. By giving children a choice they learn to make their own decisions. The best part about planning to provide a choice is that the child will still learn any material you provide them, but they will have made the decision of how they want to accomplish the learning.

A final quick tip is to keep toys and materials simple and available. Too many choices may be exciting but overwhelming. Your classroom does not always need the newest materials; in fact some of the best activities come from recycled boxes or scraps of paper. Allow them to use their imagination and see what kinds of activities they can come up with.