The prepared environment is integral to Montessori philosophy; Maria Montessori referred to the prepared environment as the third teacher, along with the child and the adult. Montessori teachers spend significant time carefully designing the classroom, providing opportunities for each child to engange with materials that fit their developmental needs.
Materials in the prepared environment are child sized and easily accessable; there is an underlying order to everything. The materials are beautiful, made of natural materials, and designed to be as realistic as possible. Children move freely through the prepared environment, directing themselves to engage with materials of their own choosing. After use, materials are returned to their place in the classroom, this is often called restoring; restoring helps maintain an organized environment and communicates that a is material is available for the next child to use.
I love preparing the classroom environment! I find it very satisfying to see a child working with a material that I put on the shelf especially for them. The process is both scientific and creative, a nearly continual cycle of observing and experimenting.
I am currenty spending a lot of time and energy preparing the environment at Valley of Light, and I am loving every minute of it. I chose to prepare my office space first, including painting the walls and furniture, hanging new to me curtains, and buying a new area rug. I knew I would be spending a lot of time in my office this summer, and I wanted a beautiful space to inspire and motivate me. I also wanted to something just for me, a little self-care of sorts, (more about self-care and the prepared adult later). So here is a little preview of my prepared environment; I can't wait to share more pictures as each space begins to come together.