#preparedenvironment

A Space Designed for Growth!

The Montessori classroom is organized to promote independence, freedom, and curiosity in a structured yet flexible way.

 Encourages self-directed learning

Fosters a sense of order & responsibility

 Creates a peaceful, engaging learning atmosphere

Discover how our environment nurtures young minds at Alphabetz Montessori, San Antonio, TX!

Creating a Montessori lesson plan is different from traditional lesson planning because it centers around the needs, interests, and developmental stages of the child. Instead of a rigid schedule, it focuses on providing a prepared environment and allowing the child to engage with materials at their own pace. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a Montessori lesson plan:

1. Observation

Purpose: Begin by observing the child to understand their interests, developmental stage, and needs.

Method: Spend time watching the child during activities. Take notes on what captures their attention, challenges they face, and how they interact with materials and peers.

2. Prepared Environment

Purpose: Ensure the environment is ready to support the child’s learning.

Method: Set up the environment with materials that are appropriate for the child’s developmental stage. Materials should be accessible, aesthetically pleasing, and organized to encourage independence. Examples include practical life activities (e.g., pouring water, tying shoes), sensorial materials (e.g., cylinder blocks, color tablets), and academic materials (e.g., sandpaper letters, number rods).

3. Material Selection

Purpose: Choose specific materials that align with the child’s interests and developmental needs.

Method: Select materials from the Montessori curriculum areas (Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, and Cultural subjects). For instance, if a child shows an interest in language, you might introduce sandpaper letters or a movable alphabet.

4. Presentation

Purpose: Introduce the material to the child through a demonstration.

Method: Present the material to the child in a simple, clear, and slow manner. For example, if introducing cylinder blocks, demonstrate how to remove each cylinder, mix them up, and place them back in the correct order, ensuring the child sees the process clearly.

5. Independent Work

Purpose: Allow the child to work with the material independently.

Method: After the presentation, give the child the opportunity to explore the material on their own. Encourage repetition and exploration, which helps deepen their understanding and mastery of the task.

6. Observation and Adjustment

Purpose: Monitor the child’s progress and adjust the environment or materials as needed.

Method: Continue observing how the child engages with the materials. If a child masters a material, introduce the next level of challenge. If they struggle, either offer guidance or allow them to explore at their own pace without pressure.

7. Follow the Child

Purpose: Let the child's interests guide the learning process.

Method: Be flexible in your planning. If a child shows a new interest, be ready to shift your focus to support that interest with appropriate materials and activities.

8. Record Keeping

Purpose: Track the child’s progress and plan future activities.

Method: Maintain a record of the child’s work, noting which materials they have mastered, what still challenges them, and any emerging interests. This will help in planning future presentations and selecting new materials.

Example of a Simple Montessori Lesson Plan:

Observation: Child is interested in pouring water but struggles with control.

Prepared Environment: Set up a Practical Life station with a small pitcher and cups.

Material Selection: Practical Life pouring exercise.

Presentation: Demonstrate how to hold the pitcher, pour the water into a cup without spilling, and return the pitcher to its place.

Independent Work: Child practices pouring, refilling the pitcher, and trying again.

Observation and Adjustment: Monitor the child’s progress. If they succeed easily, introduce a more challenging task, like pouring from a pitcher with a spout.

Follow the Child: If the child shows interest in other pouring activities (e.g., with different materials like beans or rice), introduce those.

Record Keeping: Note the child’s progress and plan to introduce more complex Practical Life activities.

Maria Montessori's idea of the prepared environment was that the child's spaces were deliberately prepared to facilitate independence and exploration. I aim to post images of her spaces periodically to document her environment at each stage. You can find the links to each of these posts in the link above labeled "Charlotte's Spaces."

Here are all of Charlotte’s spaces in our home - our attempt at a prepared environment. She is 15 months old.

Bedroom

Charlotte sleeps on a floor bed, as described in this post about sleep. Beside her bed is her nightstand with several sleep-related books. She will be transitioning to her twin bed very soon.

Also in Charlotte’s bedroom is her dressing area. The small dresser is easy for her to open and close so she can choose what to wear each day. She no longer lies down to get dressed, but either stands or uses the chair. She can place her dirty clothes in the hamper.

Play/Work Room

Maria Montessori always referred to a child’s play as their work. So here is where Charlotte does her much of her work. Carefully selected toys and materials are placed directly on the shelves - easy to access and put back away.

UPDATE: Looking back (now at 20 months) we see that we had way too many toys available to her at the time. We have switched to drastically reducing and then rotating frequently.

On the other side of her work room is her ball pit and the rocking chair from which I observe her at play.

Also within Charlotte’s work room is her reading area. The shelves were handmade by her Grandpa John and are placed at a height where she can access books herself.

Bathroom

Charlotte’s bathroom is where she is learning to use the toilet and care for herself (brush her hair and teeth, wash her hands and face, and bathe). This is also where we have changed her diapers since she was born (using the blue towel pictured - at first we did this on the bathroom counter and then transitioned to the *clean* floor).

Kitchen and Dining Area

Charlotte eats snacks at her weaning table and chair. I sit at the stool next to her if she needs any assistance. Read more about her weaning essentials here.

Charlotte eats family meals with us at the family table on a high chair that fosters independence. At 14 months we took away the bar holding her in so that she can begin to climb up and down independently.

Charlotte’s kitchenette (complete with running water) serves as her hand-washing station and dishes and utensils storage. In the future it will also serve as her food prep area, dishwashing area, and where she will refill her pitcher for drinks. She currently washes her hands here after every meal.

Her homemade learning tower sits next to the kitchenette and allows Charlotte to stand at the counter to observe us prepare food and gradually begin helping. I love that when I go into the kitchen now, instead of chasing after me and pulling at my legs, she immediately goes for the tower.

Entry

This is where Charlotte puts on and removes her shoes and hat before and after going outside. At this point I help her through this process, but it is a routine she is very accustomed to. When I say, "let's go outside" or "it's time to go" she immediately goes to her shoe basket to put on her shoes. When winter comes we will add a hook for her coat. 

Living Room

Here are Charlotte’s shelves in the family living space. It is a bit cluttered in this photo, but that's just life sometimes. In this room is also a child-sized chair and a low mirror with which she observed her own movements from birth.

UPDATE: Looking back (now at 20 months) we see that we had way too many toys available to her at the time. We have switched to drastically reducing and then rotating frequently.

Outside

While Charlotte doesn’t have any particular designated space outside, we do spend much of our time there. Pictured is her lawn chair and gardening tools, as well as her outdoor walker wagon. She also has a trike and a kiddie pool that are not pictured.