Jean Kermode

Montessori Consulting

montessori at home blog

The Montessori Work Mat: Everything You Need to Know

Learn the history behind the Montessori work mat and 6 simple tips for incorporating them into your home or classroom environment.

Text that says: Everything you need to know about the montessori work mat. jean kermode.com

Pin me!

The work mat: it’s a quintessential Montessori material.

Walk into a Montessori classroom and you’ll see at least one kid flopped on a small rug on the floor, with some material or other strewn across it. (Or arranged neatly, as the case may be.)

What’s the story, and why are work mats an important part of a Montessori prepared environment?

Freedom and discipline, baby.

Why Use a Montessori Work Mat

When Maria Montessori was starting her work with children, there were some pretty intense desks in schools, even in kindergarten. These desks were designed to prevent spine problems in students who had to site for long periods of time at school.

Maria hated these desks. “What the schools need is more liberty, not such a contraption as a desk.” (The Discovery of the Child)

And so in her own schools, Maria Montessori did things differently. She had child-sized tables and chairs, light enough for the children to move. We’re used to those now. But she also let the children work on the floor if they so chose.

The idea is to give children the freedom to choose where they will work and concentrate best.

We all know those kids who can barely stay still in a chair. Sometimes these kids do much better sprawled out on the floor. And if that allows them to focus, it will help them develop the ability to be still.

But Why the Work Mat In Particular?

But the question still remains, why a work mat? Why can’t the kids just work directly on the floor?

The beauty of Montessori is that it works with the natural inclinations of kids to help them develop good habits and self-discipline. It’s not just a do-whatever-you-want-method.

Related: Montessori and Obedience

And, not only do kids sometimes have a natural inclination to sprawl on the floor, but they also have a natural inclination to order.

Really. It’s why they line up all their toys in a line down the middle of the living room or cry when you drive a different way home. External order helps them learn to understand and feel at home in this new world that is wonderful but still very wild.

This is why work mats have a place in a Montessori environment. A work mat allows the child to work on the floor, and gives him an external ordering of his work space. He can’t strew his work all over the place, it must stay on the mat. It also teaches intention and discipline. He has to lay the mat out before he gets the material and put it away when he is done.

text that says: 6 tips for using a montessori work mat jean kermode.com

Pin me!

Tips for Incorporating Work Mats in Your Montessori Environment

  • Choose work mats that are attractive but one solid, light color. This way they won’t distract from the work.
  • Use natural fabric for the work mats as much as possible, instead of synthetic.
  • Work mats should be large enough for a good work space, but small enough for the child to roll up and carry independently. You can have multiple sizes.
  • Designate a bin or a shelf for storing the work mats.
  • Show your students, one at a time, how to carry with two hands, set out, (before bringing work) roll up, and put away a work mat. Explain what the mat is for, but use actions instead of words when showing them how to do the above.
  • Show each child how to walk around a mat that is on the floor.

Related: A Montessori Prepared Environment at Home: The Quick Guide

Questions, insights, or stories? Have you seen the benefits of a Montessori work mat? Let me know in the comments!

Jean Marie

free montessori printables

How to Introduce Kids to Great Music With a Music Nook

Set up a simple Montessori music nook in your home or classroom to introduce your child to a variety of wonderful music. You don’t have to be a music buff or concertmaster to help your child discover the world beyond the Wiggles. Maybe she’ll be inspired to learn an instrument herself!

an image of several classical and folk ads, with text that says: how to introduce preschoolers to great music, Montessori inspired tips!

Pin me!

In a world that is saturated with so many noises, how can we help our students and children to appreciate good music?

While we don’t want kids to get too plugged in, we can use technology to our advantage. If we keep in mind a few helpful Montessori principles, we can introduce kids to music in a way that helps them to truly appreciate and savor it.

One way to do this is by creating a Montessori music nook.

How to Set Up a Montessori Music Nook

Begin by choosing an area of your classroom or home where your kids can sit, one at a time, and listen to music. You can make the music nook part of your reading nook, or you can set aside a separate area. Another option is to set up a music basket on a shelf and allow the children to take it to a table or floor mat, as they would any other work.

Next, gather a few supplies:

  1. A CD player or iPod, etc. (If you can get ahold of a small walkman CD player, that – in my opinion – would be perfect. Then it’s easy to make one or two CD’s available at a time. An iPod would be fine as long as you don’t mind switching out the music every week or so. See below on limits.)
  2. A set of earbuds or headphones
  3. A few CD’s or playlists
  4. A small basket to hold everything
  5. A dedicated chair or cushion (optional)

Then invite one child at a time to use the music nook. Show him how to carefully use the materials, and explain that the headphones are so he can listen to music while the other students are concentrating on different work. Show him where the volume needs to stay (mark it in red on the dial, if possible.) Explain the routine and any other limits.

Related: DIY Reading Nook

Montessori Principles to Keep In Mind

  1. Give the child keys to the world. In a Montessori classroom, children see glimpses of the world, enough to spark their interest and encourage them to discover more. When setting up a music nook, don’t just sync your entire iTunes library onto an iPod and hand it over. The goal is to introduce the child to the world of great and beautiful music, so he can be inspired to enter more deeply into that world if he wants to. (e.g. through music lessons, music study, etc.) The best way to do this is to give a little at a time. (See below.)
  2. Freedom within limits. This principle will help keep our kids from getting too plugged in. It’s up to you, the parent or teacher, to set the specifics, but here’s what freedom and limits might look like for a music nook. Freedom: the child can choose when or if he wants to listen to music. Limits: there is only one CD player, so only one child can use it at a time; you choose which one or two CDs will be set out each day, how high the volume can be, (mark it in red on the dial) how long she can stay in the music nook, etc. (Read more about freedom and limits here.)
  3. Give the child the best. Aaron Copland and the Beatles, if you’re asking me. Don’t give her Baby Mozart, just give her Mozart. Nobody is too young for symphonies.
  4. Follow the child. The above being said, if your kids love “The Muffin Man,” give them “The Muffin Man.” Or if a student expresses interest in the harmonica, find him a Toots Thielemans CD.

Related: Music for Kids That’s Not the Wiggles (Plus Free Playlists)

A Few More Tips

  • As a class or a family, you can study a new composer, band, or type of music each week or month. For example, one week you can set out a Chopin CD, and later a Beethoven CD. Then next month, you can move on to world music, or storytellers, or bluegrass. You can listen to the music altogether outside of class/work time, e.g. during lunch, in the car, or at the end of the day.
  • Supplement the music nook with other Montessori music materials, such as the bells, musical instruments, or classified cards that teach the names of instruments, notes, etc.
an image of several classical and folk ads, with text that says: how to create a montessori inspired music nook for preschool and kindergarten

pin me!

Got any tips for introducing music to children? Share them, and your favorite music, with us in the comments! 

Jean Marie

A Montessori Prepared Environment at Home: the Quick Guide

Here are four simple steps to help you set up a Montessori prepared environment at home and on a budget. Using mostly items you already have, create a home environment that will help your child grow in independence, and save you a little sanity.

The quick guide to Montessori any space at home, {shows a picture of a table set with children's dishes and a vase of succulents}

Pin me please!

“The man who does not live in an adaptive environment can neither develop his faculties normally nor learn to know himself.”

– Maria Montessori

It’s all about the prepared environment, guys.

We know how important our own environment is. TV’s on, can’t focus. Desk is a mess, my thoughts are a mess. Ugly environment, no inspiration. Can’t find anything, can’t get anything done.

It’s the same for kids, especially for children under the age of 6. In a quiet environment, they can find concentration. In a beautiful place, they are happy to work. In an orderly space, tailored to their needs, they develop habits and routines and independence.

That last word is the most important. The independence of the child is the final goal of the prepared environment. Even if a room is organized and attractive, it is lacking if the child can’t reach anything. The child needs access to purposeful activities in an environment suited to her basic physical, psychological, and spiritual needs.

It might sound like a lot of work for you to set up a Montessori prepared environment at home. But, if you put in a little effort now, your child will learn to do more for herself. Which is good for her and for you. 🙂

Diagram showing that the prepared environment plus purposeful work leads to the building and development of the mental organs and independence

Pin me!

{Want to learn more about this process? ↑ Print a free cheatsheet here.}

Sounds beautiful. How exactly do I set that up?

How to Set Up a Montessori Prepared Environment at Home

1. Choose the Space

There most likely won’t be just one space that you want to “Montessori.” Your kids are busy all over the house, and that’s good. In my training, I learned that children should not be the center of the family, they should be part of the family. Which means they should have access to most of the areas of the house where the family lives and works.

This means that you may want to prepare not just the child’s bedroom, but also the bathroom, living room, and kitchen. (Your own bedroom and home office are safe, I promise.)

But to start, just choose one space.

2. Observe the Child in the Space

Before you dive in, spend a few days with your child in that space. If you’ve chosen the bathroom, pay attention to what your child needs in the bathroom. What does he ask for help with, and what could he do himself? Could he brush his own teeth if he was able to reach the toothbrush and toothpaste, and if you showed him how?

3. Make Your Plan

Now that you’ve observed your child’s needs in this space, make your plan. Consider your family routines, or the routines you’d like to set in place.

For example, every evening, Charlie needs to use the bathroom, wash his hands, brush his teeth, and wash his feet if he’s been playing outside. That’s the routine. So you need to plan the environment around that routine.

Charlie can use the bathroom and wash his hands without help, but it would be good too if he was able to replace the toilet paper when the roll runs empty. Is there a place you can store a few extra toilet paper rolls in the bathroom, maybe in a lower cabinet?

Charlie knows how to brush his teeth, but so far you’ve been helping him apply the toothpaste. Can you show him the right amount, and store everything in a drawer within his reach?

Using the tub independently is a little much for Charlie. Do you have a shallow plastic bin for him to wash his feet in instead? He could fill it using a pitcher and water from the sink, and it could be stored in the bathtub or under the sink. And if he has his own towel, he’ll know not to dry his feet on the hand towel. It might be a good idea to store a few rags within reach as well, so he can dry up any spills.

4. Collect What You’ll Need

You probably have most of the items you’ll need, but it might help to make a list and check things off as you gather them.

Using our bathroom example, here is a sample list:

  • step-stool (already have)
  • shallow bin (already have)
  • pitcher (need to get)
  • towel (already have)
  • rags (already have)
  • bin to hold rags (already have)

Of course this is just a sample list, but you can see that you need very little to prepare an environment at home.

5. Set Up Your Space and Implement the Routine

Set up the space, and when it is ready, show your child how to use everything. This can be done in an inviting and appealing way. Kids like to know what is expected of them, and might even find it exciting that they get to wash their feet in their own special bin, and do it all by themselves.

You can show your child the routine as the need arises. For example, on the first evening after you set up the environment, show Charlie how to fill up the bucket with water using the pitcher. Use more actions than words, but do explain when he needs to wash his feet. (e.g. only if they’re dirty.) You can have him watch you fill up the bucket, wash your own feet, rinse out the bucket, dry it, and store it. Then you can invite him to do it himself.

*Note: For potentially fun activities such as washing feet, you might want to set a time limit. You can include a 3 minute timer if you think it would help.

Related: How to Create a Simple Routine for Preschoolers

Related: DIY Reading Nook

There you go! With observation, a little planning, a few materials and routines, you can create a Montessori prepared environment at home and help your child grow in independence.

 

Foster independence with a montessori prepared home environment {shows a table set with children's dishes and a vase of succulents}

Pin me please!

How do you create an environment that fosters independence? Share your tips with us in the comments!

Jean Marie

free montessori printables