Montessori education works perfectly for preschoolers. It works perfectly for other ages as well, but it’s easiest to find materials for home use at the preschool level. And, according to Maria Montessori, the years before age 6 are the most important:
…the most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six. For that is the time when man’s intelligence itself, his greatest implement, is being formed.
Here are my suggestions for setting up a Montessori preschool classroom or space at home. You could set up an entire classroom or even one or two shelves in a room, depending on whether you have a homeschool, home day care, or just want to give your child some Montessori-oriented activities at home.
1. Read about Montessori education. While the books by Maria Montessori are wonderful, I think the best books to read first about using Montessori at home are How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin and Teach Me to Do It Myself by Maja Pitamic.
2. Purchase or make low shelves and a child-sized table and chairs. At the preschool level, it’s important that everything possible is child-sized.
3. Purchase or make materials. In our homeschool classroom, we had beautiful Nienhuis Montessori materials. That was because I had owned a Montessori preschool in the 1980s that I closed when my son was 3½. There was a Montessori teacher shortage at the time, and I had to close the school or teach and direct the school myself, something which didn’t allow enough time for my family. I compressed my classroom into the smaller space available for our homeschool and waited until my children were past their preschool years to sell the materials from the school. (Note: In the photo, my son wasn’t in preschool any longer, but the classroom was still set up primarily as a Montessori preschool classroom for the benefit of my daughter, who was 1½. She no longer put objects in her mouth, so I didn’t have to set up the classroom as a toddler room.)
Without accessible materials from a Montessori school, I probably would have made many of the materials myself or found inexpensive versions. Luckily, there are many options today to find inexpensive Montessori materials through online stores and websites. UPDATE: Links to resources to download free Montessori materials, buy Montessori materials online, or make your own are in How to Set Up a Montessori Homeschool Classroom.
It’s important to emphasize practical-life, or daily living, activities as the most important activities for preschoolers at the start of a school year. The first Montessori school I taught at only had preliminary and practical-life activities on the shelves for the first few weeks of school. The thought was that the skills gained from practical-life activities were essential before the children even began working with Montessori materials in other areas. Here’s the link to an article I published on Montessori Practical Life Activities.
4. Group your materials together in the appropriate curriculum areas – practical life, sensorial, language, math, and cultural. If you have shelves for more than practical-life activities initially, you can still organize the materials you do have (even if they’re not actual Montessori materials) in curriculum areas on the shelves. Whenever you can, put each activity on a tray.
5. Using your available resources, make your classroom area as attractive and orderly as possible. Avoid clutter. Have a place for everything and everything in its place. Here’s a helpful article from North American Montessori Center on Montessori at Home: The Prepared Environment. I also have a post called How to Start Using Montessori at Home.
Your classroom or space within a room can be simple or elaborate. It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. I’ll give some links to examples of Montessori homeschool classrooms. Some are full Montessori classrooms. Don’t be intimidated – just use the classrooms for inspiration and ideas. What’s right for you is what works for you and your family.
Here are some lovely Montessori home spaces and classrooms from:
- The Homeschool Classroom
- Counting Coconuts (Counting Coconuts posted a Classroom Tour with photos and descriptions of a beautiful new classroom in a new home.)
- Jojoebi
- What do you do all day?
- Good Tree Montessori Homeschool
- Montessori for Everyone
- Mommy Moment
UPDATE: For more information on Montessori activities, how to use Montessori education at home, and many more Montessori homeschool classrooms, see How to Set Up a Montessori Homeschool Classroom.
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
If this is your first time visiting Living Montessori Now, welcome! If you haven’t already, please join us on our Living Montessori Now Facebook page where you’ll find a Free Printable of the Day and lots of inspiration and ideas for parenting and teaching! And please follow me on Instagram, Pinterest (lots of Montessori-, holiday-, and theme-related boards), and YouTube. While you’re here, please check out the Living Montessori Now shop.
And don’t forget one of the best ways to follow me by signing up for my weekly newsletter. You’ll receive some awesome freebies in the process!
I’m really enjoying these beginning of the year posts!
I’ve posted about our prepared environment here: http://countingcoconuts.blogspot.com/2010/01/james-world-redux.html
Mari-Ann
Counting Coconuts
Thanks so much, Mari-Ann! I had just put up a link to your prepared environment – probably at about exactly the time you were commenting! Your prepared environment is wonderful!
Another great post. I want to check out those books especially ‘Teach me to do it myself’. (I’m really bad about doing too much for my two) And more great websites too! I actually LOVE Montessori for everyone and know Lori, we used to go to Church together! What a small world. I love Counting Coconuts too, I had previously found that site through yours!
Thanks for your kind words, Michelle! I find it amazing, too, how interconnected we all are! Of course, getting to know wonderful people around the world makes the world seem smaller as well.
I will never tire of looking at other people’s amazing learning spaces. I think it’s time for a bit of re-organization to ours before we start school in September! Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks for your comment, Nicole! I agree – I absolutely LOVE seeing how other people are using Montessori at home! Good luck with the start of your school year!
This is a great post. Thanks for the picture of your classroom and of others. I do not have such great aesthetic skills so it is very helpful to get ideas from others.
Thanks so much, Kyle! During my first years of teaching Montessori, I visited LOTS of Montessori schools to gain new ideas. That was some of my favorite training. It’s wonderful that can be done online now!
Thanks for linking my classroom with so many other beautiful classrooms. It is so nice to see how other classrooms are set up. I would love to have more sunshine in my classroom, but I am just thankful that I have a space and many lovely materials for my girls to use.
Deb, your comments on my blog mean so much to me! Thank-you for your kindness and for inspiring so many moms & teachers alike!
(Hugs)
Jody
Thanks SO much for your sweet words, Jody! Your classroom really is lovely. I’m sure everyone who’s seen it is impressed! Thank you also for your kindness and for being an inspiration to so many!
Hi Deb,
You have put together an excellent easy to follow tips on setting up a Montessori preschool and other moms who wish to follow wonderful philosophy of learning will benefit.
When my twins were little, we had considered moving to a neighboring town so they could attend a Montessori school…
I stopped by from Day 30 of the 31DBBB Challenge. I am following you now, do follow back.
Best,
Eliz
Thanks for visiting and for your kind words! I appreciate your following me – I’m on my way to visit your blog now!
Okay, I just saw you were the featured blog at iFellowship this week! How fun and congrats!!
Thanks SO much, Michelle! It definitely made my day to be the featured blog and read the kind words at Seeds of Faith!
your classroom looks great. I’ve considered putting my kids in a Montessori school, but there isn’t one near by and as a working mom I couldn’t take the extra 45 minutes to drive them to and from the nearest one.
Stopping by from 31DBBB.
Thanks for your comment, Amy! It is difficult when there aren’t Montessori schools nearby. If you ever have the chance to read How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way, you’ll find lots of tips for using Montessori principles at home. The beauty of Montessori is that it’s helpful in any home situation.
Congratulations on being the featured iFellowship blogger!!! You deserve it!!!
Thanks! You’re so sweet, Michelle! I love iFellowship Wednesdays, and it’s wonderful to be the featured blogger. And it’s even on the first day of your celebration! I’ll be stopping by shortly!
Congrats on being featured!!! Your school room looks fantastic!
Thanks for your kind words, Penny! I hope you’re having a wonderful iFellowship Wednesday!
Congratulations on being featured! I loved our classroom growing up! Thanks, Mom. 🙂 Xxx
Thanks, Chrissy! I’m having SO much fun reliving our homeschooling memories for Living Montesori Now! I love sharing what worked for us – and I’m always proud of you and Will. Xxx
Great post, I am honoured to be up there with some other great bloggers. I wish this kind of information had been available when I was starting out.
Thanks SO much! I wish the Internet would have been available when my children were little! I love that we can share so much online now. And I love what you’re doing with your son and to help the Montessori/homeschooling communities!
I homeschooled, but I often wish I’d taken the time to educate myself about Montessori and other modalities. I just kinda winged it. I wish you’d been around then. 🙂 (Blogs weren’t even around then.)
Thanks, Serene! I can’t believe the Internet wasn’t even invented when I started homeschooling. It’s really amazing how many more ideas and materials are easily available now – I’m happy for today’s homeschoolers!
Thank you for this post. My children both attend a Montessori program (3-6) and I love having similar things for them to work with when they are home. The links you included in the article are so helpful.
I just found this, Heather! Thanks so much for your comment. It’s awesome that your children are in a Montessori program and you’re helping your children at home, too. I’m glad you found the links helpful! 🙂
Hi Deb,
I saw this photo of your homeschool on Pinterest and happened to notice that you have the Blue Boards and the corresponding strips that go with them. Any chance that you have any sets of strips for sale? Do you by any chance have the math blue boards too? And would you by any chance be willing to part with those? My younger son is very sensitive with certain textures and does not like the feel of sandpaper letters and numbers. However, he loves the feel of the blue board letters. He traces those as you would a sand paper letter.
They have worked our so well for us.
We have some of the sets of the plastic strips, but not all, so if you have any that you would want to sell, would love to know what you have and would love to potentially buy them from you!
Thanks!
Hope you had a happy weekend!
Have always loved your blog but now, also enjoy seeing you pin boards. Like how you have them organized. I need to go back through and make mine more specific categories too.
Colleen:)
Thanks for your comment and kind words, Colleen! I sold my materials back in the 1990s after my kids were finished with them. At the time, I had a big sale and invited the public as well as a number of Montessori schools. It’s great that items can be sold online so easily today. I hope you’re able to find the sets of strips. They are a nice material. 🙂