Be prepared!\u00a0 This is the motto for scouting organizations worldwide.\u00a0 Maria Montessori would have a said \u201cSi Preparato!\u201d in her native Italian tongue.\u00a0 And this is the message that Dr. Montessori shared with educators as she created her Casa di Bambini for the children she first taught.\u00a0 Providing a carefully prepared environment, in addition to well-prepared teachers, is the tradition Montessori schools uphold today and remains one of the essential elements that makes this method of education successful for the millions of Montessori students worldwide.<\/p>\n
Dr. Montessori believed that the school environment best served children if it was welcoming and felt like a home.\u00a0 Casa di Bambini literally translates to \u2018house for children\u2019, and her school was designed with the needs of the children at the forefront.\u00a0 In his biography of Dr. Montessori, Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work<\/em>, E. M. Standing tells us that “…realizing the peculiarly absorbent nature of the child’s mind, she has prepared for him a special environment; and, then, placing the child within it, has given him the freedom to live in it, absorbing what he finds there” (p.265).\u00a0 The environment provides the framework that allows the children\u2019s curiosity, confidence, and spontaneous learning to unfold.\u00a0 It is central to Montessori education, and the environment is the first thing which makes an impact not only on Montessori students, but on visitors to Montessori schools, as well.<\/p>\n Walking into a classroom at The Montessori Children\u2019s Academy (MCA), the first comment from guests touring the school is often to say how beautiful<\/em> it is.\u00a0 It is a carefully prepared, beautiful, organized environment filled with an abundance of the highest quality Montessori materials. \u00a0The natural wooden shelves display an array of neatly arranged, attractive materials.\u00a0 The shelves and materials are organized by area of study, including Math, Cultural Subjects, Language, Sensorial, and Practical Life.\u00a0 The child-sized furniture is carefully placed to promote both independent work spaces, as well as places where children may sit together to work and socialize. \u00a0There is a cozy place to read, a well-lit area to create artwork at an easel, and plenty of opportunity for controlled movement throughout the room.<\/p>\n Every component of the Montessori classroom has a purpose.\u00a0 The unique materials created by Dr. Montessori grow with the children through various stages of development, as the children are ready to proceed. \u00a0The classroom and materials are organized carefully and in sequential order, providing another aspect to the children\u2019s development and learning.\u00a0 Materials of advancing degrees are placed left to right and top to bottom, just as we read text from left to right and top to bottom.\u00a0 Children are taught from the start where each particular material belongs, and they learn to return each item to its proper place after they are finished using it.\u00a0 This keeps things predictable for the children, and they know where to go to find what they need very quickly.<\/p>\n The environment and the materials within it provide the children with choices, and they allow the children to experiment and to learn with their special \u2018control of error\u2019.\u00a0 If a child doesn\u2019t carry the material carefully from the shelf to the table or workspace on the floor, it may spill.\u00a0 There is no punishment involved in that\u2014instead the child learns how to clean it up and put it back in order.\u00a0 Similarly, Dr. Montessori\u2019s materials are created as \u2018self-correcting\u2019.\u00a0 The child will easily see whether or not he or she has used them in an appropriate fashion, and the child will learn inherently from his or her mistakes.\u00a0 This is incredibly careful preparation, and it allows children to take on challenges without feeling fear of failure.\u00a0 Instead, the environment promotes positive risk-taking and fosters innate encouragement for the child to succeed through his or her repeated experiences with the materials.<\/p>\n In addition to the academic materials, careful consideration is taken in placing furniture, decorations, and other components of the classroom.\u00a0 Montessori classrooms allow children to work at tables or on the floor.\u00a0 The furniture and shelves are arranged with purpose to allow children to navigate their way around the classroom and to practice \u201cgrace and courtesy\u201d and self-control.\u00a0 Artwork is placed at the children\u2019s eye-level, not the adults, because after all, the classroom is for the children<\/em>.\u00a0 Generally, the artwork displayed is that of well-known artists, and it reflects the best examples of a variety of types of art or enhances a current class study of a particular artist.\u00a0 Living plants not only bring elements of nature into the classroom, but they also provide the children with the opportunity to learn responsibility for their care.\u00a0 Montessori classrooms usually contain a Peace Table (or Peace Area) where children may sit and meditate over natural objects, forming designs in a sand tray, building a small tower with smooth stones, or looking at symbols of peace, such as a wooden carving of a dove.<\/p>\n This beautiful, carefully prepared environment is an outward, physical example of the beautiful, carefully prepared education Montessori students receive.\u00a0 Montessori teachers prepare their classrooms with the knowledge that children respond to beauty and order.\u00a0 Of course, the final element to the prepared environment is the prepared Montessori teacher or guide who has created this place where children can feel at home, feel secure in taking risks, feel challenged, and are excited about learning each and every day.<\/p>\n In her book Education and Peace<\/em>, Dr. Montessori said, “There is a constant interaction between the individual and the environment. \u00a0The use of things shapes man, and man shapes things. \u00a0This reciprocal sharing is a manifestation of man’s love for his surroundings. \u00a0Harmonious interaction – when it exists, as in the child, represents the normal relationship that should exist between the individual and his surroundings. \u00a0And this relationship is one of love.” (p.57)\u00a0 At the Montessori Children\u2019s Academy, the teachers and children all share in a deep love of learning as they continue their Montessori journey together each day, prepared for a variety of daily adventures in their beautifully, carefully prepared Montessori environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Be prepared!\u00a0 This is the motto for scouting organizations worldwide.\u00a0 Maria Montessori would have a said \u201cSi Preparato!\u201d in her native Italian tongue.\u00a0 And this is the message that Dr. Montessori shared with educators as she created her Casa di Bambini for the children she first taught.\u00a0 Providing a carefully prepared environment, in addition to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":250,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[3],"tags":[131,17,5,25,4,132,68,6,133,134],"coauthors":[13],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/IMG_1402.jpg?fit=3264%2C2448&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7icff-41","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1304,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2024\/06\/12\/understanding-montessori-math\/","url_meta":{"origin":249,"position":0},"title":"Understanding Montessori Math","author":"Tori Inkley","date":"June 12, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Arati Joshi, Early Childhood Head Teacher \u201cChildren display a universal love of mathematics,which is par excellence the science of precision, order, and intelligence.\u201d~ Maria Montessori Dr. Maria Montessori, the founder of the Montessori Method of Education, believed that a child is born with a \u201cmathematical mind\u201d. From birth, children\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Early Child Education"","block_context":{"text":"Early Child Education","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/early-child-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-12-at-4.04.15\u202fPM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-12-at-4.04.15\u202fPM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-12-at-4.04.15\u202fPM.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-12-at-4.04.15\u202fPM.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-12-at-4.04.15\u202fPM.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-12-at-4.04.15\u202fPM.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":269,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/11\/five-questions-to-ask-at-a-preschool-open-house\/","url_meta":{"origin":249,"position":1},"title":"Five Questions to Ask at a Preschool Open House (Repost from October 2016)","author":"Alex Chiu","date":"January 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"As this is a common time of year for families to begin their preschool search for the next school year, we would like to once again share with you some pointers when attending a preschool Open House. An Open House provides parents with a firsthand impression that cannot be replicated\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Early Child Education"","block_context":{"text":"Early Child Education","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/early-child-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/3-children-with-globe.jpg?fit=1200%2C844&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/3-children-with-globe.jpg?fit=1200%2C844&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/3-children-with-globe.jpg?fit=1200%2C844&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/3-children-with-globe.jpg?fit=1200%2C844&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/3-children-with-globe.jpg?fit=1200%2C844&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":401,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/24\/preschool-profiles-mcas-2%c2%bd-3%c2%bd-program\/","url_meta":{"origin":249,"position":2},"title":"Preschool Profiles: MCA\u2019s 2\u00bd – 3\u00bd Program","author":"Alex Chiu","date":"January 24, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"To ring in the new year at The Montessori Children\u2019s Academy (MCA), we welcomed five new families to our 2\u00bd - 3\u00bd class at our Morristown campus. Despite their tender age, our seasoned MCA students gently welcomed these new friends, showing them around the classroom and modeling the manners and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Early Child Education"","block_context":{"text":"Early Child Education","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/early-child-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL NJ","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/IMG_3713.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/IMG_3713.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/IMG_3713.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1260,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2024\/02\/26\/the-montessori-childrens-academy-celebrates-montessori-education-week-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":249,"position":3},"title":"The Montessori Children\u2019s Academy Celebrates\u00a0Montessori Education\u00a0Week 2024","author":"Tori Inkley","date":"February 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Camilla Nichols, Senior Director of Montessori Developmentand Tori Inkley, Executive Director During the week of February 25 \u2013 March 2, 2024, several hundred students at\u00a0The Montessori Children\u2019s Academy\u00a0(MCA), along with Montessori students from around the world, will celebrate Montessori Education Week! Montessori Education Week is an annual event that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Citizens of the World"","block_context":{"text":"Citizens of the World","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/citizens-of-the-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/MEW1.jpg?fit=316%2C238&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":263,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2016\/09\/29\/montessori-around-the-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":249,"position":4},"title":"Montessori Around the World","author":"Alex Chiu","date":"September 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Last spring, Montessori education made international headlines when the United Kingdom\u2019s Prince George was enrolled at a Montessori school in England. George\u2019s family has a history with Montessori education; his late grandmother, Princess Diana, worked in a Montessori school as a young woman. Diana later sent her sons, Prince William\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Montessori Philosophy"","block_context":{"text":"Montessori Philosophy","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/montessori-philosophy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Montessori Childrens Academy NJ","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Camilla-Patch-1.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Camilla-Patch-1.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Camilla-Patch-1.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1425,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2025\/03\/08\/the-montessori-movement-comes-to-america-a-brief-history\/","url_meta":{"origin":249,"position":5},"title":"The Montessori Movement Comes to America: A Brief History","author":"Tori Inkley","date":"March 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Camilla Nichols, Senior Director of Montessori Developmentand Tori Inkley, Executive Director The very first official Montessori training course was held in Rome, Italy in 1913. While the course attracted international attendees, the majority were from America. Maria Montessori taught the theory lessons in Italian at her home and the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Early Child Education"","block_context":{"text":"Early Child Education","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/early-child-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_1358.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":252,"href":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249\/revisions\/252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}