A classroom that lets children say,“I can do it myself.”

Our peaceful classroom begins with Maria Montessori’s belief that “the child should live in an environment of beauty.” The atmosphere is calm, orderly, and deliberately simple, inviting children into deep concentration.

Each classroom has adjustable recessed lighting and separate temperature zones so that light and warmth can meet the needs of the children inside. Storage space keeps materials organized, while both carpeted floor areas and wet space give children room to spread out, wash their hands, and clean up on their own. The wet space is usually about 300 square feet, with room for lunch. Every classroom has its own entrance and exit that opens onto an individual outdoor space.

The layout begins the Montessori process of independence. Because the environment lets children care for their own needs and help themselves, they gradually become more independent of the teacher. In every room, the classroom contains an abundance of concrete, manipulative materials maintained in an orderly, clean, and attractive way. The materials reflect reality and nature, helping children accurately organize their perception of the world. And because the materials are readily accessible on low shelves and display tables, children are free to choose according to their own interests.

The classroom is filled with specially designed materials that stimulate your child into meaningful, purposeful activity. As children manipulate the apparatus, they learn to differentiate, compare, discriminate, and explore — all through their own senses. These exercises provide stimuli that trigger intense concentration and attention, and children tend to engage with their work with passion and ingenuity, more so than if the work were simply assigned. An excerpt from Montessori — A Modern Approach by Paul Polk Lillard best describes the principle behind the materials: “They are not learning material in the conventional sense, because their aim is not the external one of teaching children skills or imparting knowledge through “correct usage.” Rather, the aim is an internal one of assisting the child’s self-construction and mental development. They aid this growth by providing the child with stimuli that capture his attention and initiate a process of concentration.”

Dr. Montessori scientifically designed each material to draw a child’s attention to the sensory properties of the physical world — size, shape, color, texture, weight, smell, sound, taste, and dimension — through sensory integration. As children work, they begin to notice intricate details in the environment and gradually move from simple, concrete recognition to more complex, abstract concepts, led by their own interests.

One exceptional feature of the equipment is the built-in control of error. A child can recognize a mistake visually and correct it without waiting for an adult to point it out, keeping them on the right path to progress. The materials also prepare children indirectly for future skills. The knobs and handles they grip with finger and thumb strengthen the coordination needed to use a pencil. Tracing sandpaper letters with their fingers activates muscular memory in the correct formation of each letter, so when the time comes to write, the child does so with less effort and frustration. True to Montessori’s child-sized philosophy, all of the materials are placed on low shelves and display tables where every child can reach them easily. The wide variety of materials is arranged into interest centers throughout the room and classified into organized curriculum areas: language arts, math and geometry, practical living, sensory awareness activities, puzzles, geography, history, science, art, music, and movement. Within each center, materials are arranged in a special sequence from the upper-left-hand corner to the lower right, gradually increasing in complexity — from the simplest and most concrete to the most complex and abstract. The result is a series of little learning centers where a child can select, manipulate, absorb, and learn, all in a warm and caring environment, and all while having fun.