On arrival, many families comment on our environment here at The Courtyard. We regularly hear statements like “gosh the classrooms are light and airy” and “the activities are so beautifully presented on the shelves”, through to “what a lovely garden/outdoor area” or “this place looks and feels so nice”. Well this is no co-incidence, it’s because we value the prepared environment and put much thought and energy into preparing and maintaining it in order for children to gain optimal experiences from it

 

The Prepared Environment… so what does this term mean from a Montessori perspective? It is welcoming, child friendly and invites respect. Respect of not just the environment, but also of the materials and each other.

The classrooms and garden are designed as beautiful, inviting and interactive spaces in which hands-on exploration is encouraged. The materials are designed to be attractive so as to ‘attract’ the child to them and to impart skills and knowledge through purposeful use.

You will notice low shelving. This enables children to help themselves to materials and activities they choose to work with. The materials themselves are of good quality and complete, in good working order, nothing is broken or missing.

Curriculum areas are defined by the placement of the shelves and activities are accessible from left to right/simple to complex, concrete to abstract which unconsciously supports the development of tracking and memory in preparation for learning to read later on. This also supports the child to remember where to return the materials to once they have finished working with them. This supports the early tendency towards a sense of order for children.

The materials are sensorial and tactile. The prepared environment follows the natural inclination of children towards activity by offering materials and activities for meaningful engagement. By using the mind, the body, and the senses, learning becomes an activity that engages the whole self. The environment lends itself to movement, so children can move freely throughout the environment, choosing activities that interest them, or working with the teacher, individually, or in small groups. Their movement is unrestricted unless it endangers themselves, other people, or their surroundings.

The outdoor environment offers children opportunities to engage with their natural surroundings and move physically and freely as they master control of their bodies.

 

The environment is prepared in every way for optimal development: physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally. Children’s needs change as they move through stages of development. The learning journey that each child takes is unique to them and is honoured through the prepared environment. By aligning the activities in the environment with what each child needs at any moment, the Montessori prepared environment liberates children’s energy for growth and learning. They can learn at their own pace, in their own time and they can revisit experiences that they are gaining fulfilment from frequently.

 

To sum up the purpose of the prepared environment we recognise that through the prepared environment children are provided with freedom and independence. Freedom to learn individually, as a community and independently at their own pace as interests evolve.

 

Nga mihi

Shelagh