creating montessori environment in the home

[mamaley]

ds goes to a montessori school, and we'd like his space at home to be like his space at school, rather than busy and cluttered like it is now. we also have a baby girl who has her own room at the moment, but it's being used for clutter and storage, and she never uses it anyway (sleeps with us).

so, we're wanting them to someday share one room and to use the other room as a playroom (we are in a 3-br apartment and her current room/future playroom doesn't have ac or heat, so i wouldn't make a good bedroom anyway).

i read a montessori article saying that the bedroom needs:
a manipulatives area
a work table
an art space
a book corner
an area of clothes and getting dressed
the bed

however, his room is pretty small. i am wondering which of these could go in a play room, to save space, and wondering if anyone would know a good way to set up the playroom and/or bedroom keeping the montessori environment in mind.

thanks...

[L. A. Richman]

A Book To Review

I checked out a book at the library that I enjoyed. It's older, but I thought it was good. Tells how to make equipment, etc.

Elizabeth Hainstock, "Teaching Montessori in the Home".

Good luck!

[siddie]

This is what worked for us. Books are in the bedroom next to the bed. That way we can snuggle up and read before bed or whenever we want to. There is also a wooden cradle with dolls in the bedroom.

DS's room has a train table and brio building table in it. He has some imaginative play things organized in baskets (gi joe dolls with gear, dress-up clothes). Bowling set and balls, blocks and marbles are kept there too. DResser and clothes and plenty of room to get dressed in there.

I have a large 4 shelf bookshelf in the DR organized by shelf. It is huge and ds climbs up it and can sit on the shelf if he likes! He can take things down and work on the dining room table or floor (which he prefers).
1. manipulatives like lacing beads and shapes
2. puzzles
3. tactile letters, little leap alphabet frog
4. abacus with wooden beads and tiles with written numbers on them. He can count out 4 beads then find the number 4 tile and put it on the stand next to the 4 beads, etc.
5. legos
6. basket full of musical instruments and cassette player with tape and karaoke microphone
7. puppets on top shelf
8. Globe

LR (which is open to DR) has:
easel, tool workbench, playdough under window seat with other misc toys

Kitchen has his play kitchen and cleaning things. We also cook together a lot and he loves to make things like homemade lemonade with the juicer, cookies, and pizza. He knows where everything is in the kitchen and gets it out when we start an activity. He will wipe counters to help clean up and put silverware away (great sorting and counting activity). We also have a lot of step-stools so he can reach the sinks and counters when he needs to. WE use the kitchen sink for water play - fishing, pouring, baby doll bathing, colored water.

Front porch has a large pot with growing plants and sunflower seeds recently planted. Back porch has sand box, trucks.

I just looked around his class and tried to imitate what I saw. Now my ds knows that if he take his musical instruments off of the shelf, there is a space and the instruments go back into the basket and on the shelf when he is finished.

It works better for us to have things in different rooms because putting everything in one room looks and feels cluttered. Also, the books should be near a comfortable quiet place for reading. Having different toys/activities in different rooms helps as it is easier to keep an eye on him in the living/dining room area. Being able to move from room to room to different activities is really good for young children, they don't like to be confined to playrooms only. I tried to accomplish a feeling of flow and serenity by the placement of the activities.

[mamaley]

that sounds great! thank you

[rowantree]

If it were me, I would do:


playroom-
a manipulatives area
a work table
an art space

bedroom-
a book corner
an area of clothes and getting dressed
the bed

[guestmama9924]

I arrange my kids rooms in Montessori structure too. In their rooms is a dressing area and a reading corner with lamp and little comfy chair

In the kitchen is a wooden table that the kids painted and decorated. There we do art, cooking, snacks. The art 'closet' (one of my lower kitchen cabinets) is right there next to the table.

In the family room there is a long shelf that runs along the window across the whole room. There I have little baskets and trays and 'work'.

This works well for my sprawled out but small-roomed house.

[mamaley]

another question:
i'm having a difficult time with storage. we're in an apartment, and there's not a lot of space. the playroom is tiny and i want to put shelves on the walls for much needed storage to "build up". not very montessori since the kids won't be able to reach it. is this forgivable in a small space, or is there a better way to do this?