PREPARED ENVIRONMENT

IMPORTANCE OF A PREPARED ENVIRONMENT IN MONTESSORI CLASSROOM

T o fully harness the potential of a child’s Absorbent Mind, Montessori education places
great emphasis on creating a purposefully designed Prepared Environment. While the
Absorbent Mind has an extraordinary ability to take in information, children cannot
absorb what is absent or inaccessible in their surroundings. For this reason, Dr.
Montessori emphasized the importance of providing a Prepared Environment that meets
the child’s developmental needs.
The Prepared Environment is meticulously organized and equipped with Montessori
Materials—didactic tools specifically designed to align with the child's developmental
stages and Sensitive Periods. These materials enable children to engage in hands-on
learning, encouraging independence and fostering self-discovery through sensory
exploration. In this way, the Prepared Environment becomes not just a physical space
but a catalyst for holistic growth and learning.

PRACTICAL LIFE AREA

Activities of Practical Life involve motor tasks with practical, daily goals, such as
cleaning a table, transferring objects, pouring liquids, polishing shoes, etc. Beyond
helping children master everyday tasks, Practical Life activities aim to achieve the
following: (OCCI).

1. Develop their sense of Order.
(Ex. Every material has a designated spot for it, that the child knows, and shelves are
organized and decluttered)
2. Develop Control of movement and hand-eye Coordination.
(Ex. When the child is pouring water, they cannot measure the distance from the cup.)
3. Improve their ability to Concentrate.
4. Increase their Independence.

SENSORIAL AREA

Dr. Montessori designed Sensory Materials that provide concrete examples of abstract
concepts. Montessori called it the “Materialized Abstraction.” The child can better
understand abstract impressions by manipulating tangible materials. The Montessori
Sensorial Materials are designed to aid in refining the following senses:
Visual (sight), T actile (touch), Auditory (hearing), Olfactory (smell), Gustatory (taste),
Thermic (temperature), Baric (weights), and Stereognostic (tactile and muscular
exploration without using sight, often practiced blindfolded)

MONTESSORI MATHEMATICS AREA

In Montessori’s hands-on approach to Mathematics education, children are given ample
time to explore math concepts through seeing, hearing, touching, and manipulating the
carefully designed Montessori Math Materials. As the saying goes, “NOTHING IN MY
HANDS, NOTHING IN MY BRAIN,” emphasizing the importance of tactile, hands-on
learning in building mathematical understanding.
For instance, to explore quantities from 1 to 10, children work with materials such as the
Number Rods, Spindle Boxes, Numbers and Counters, Golden Beads, and Short Bead
Stairs. Through these activities, the child’s knowledge is developed incrementally using
muscular movements, tactile experiences, and sensorial interactions, allowing them to
internalize abstract math concepts effectively.

The decimal system, enhanced by color-coded values, enables children to perform
operations on large quantities with ease. For example, a child who learns to add 2 + 3 =
5 can seamlessly progress to adding two thousand + three thousand = five thousand.

LANGUAGE AREA

Dr. Montessori developed the early childhood language curriculum with a variety of
engaging, hands-on activities designed to build a strong foundation in language
development. One of the key materials is the Sound Pouch, which contains small
objects to help children learn each phonetic sound. In Montessori education, children
learn letters by their phonetic sounds rather than their alphabetic names. For example,
the child learns the letter "h" by its sound /huh/, rather than by its name, /aitch/.
The Sandpaper Letters are another essential tool, helping children associate sounds
with symbols (phoneme-grapheme relationships) through a multi-sensory approach
involving visual, tactile, and auditory experiences. Following this, the Movable
Alphabet—a set of wooden letters with vowels in blue and consonants in red—becomes
a favorite material for children. It enables them to form words and sentences, allowing
them to express their thoughts even before developing the fine motor skills required for
pencil writing.

After extensive practice "writing" their ideas using the Movable Alphabet, children
naturally develop an interest in reading. The reading curriculum progresses
systematically through the Pink Reading Series, which focuses on
consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words; the Blue Reading Series, which introduces
consonant blends such as "sh," "fl," and "cr" (CCVC words); and the Green Reading
Series, which explores long vowel patterns like "ay," "ai," and "a-e." This gradual and
engaging process nurtures the development of spontaneous and independent reading,
laying a strong foundation for lifelong literacy.
CULTURE AREA
Montessori Culture encompasses Dr. Montessori believed that all children are natural
scientists, driven by a genuine curiosity to understand the world around them, as well as
their own place within it. The Montessori Culture education nurtures this innate curiosity
by supporting children’s quest for knowledge about the world and themselves.
Montessori Culture encompasses tangible real Materials that help the child develop a
concrete understanding of Geography, History, Fine Arts, Zoology, Botany, and Science
Materials. These materials provide hands-on, sensory-rich experiences that make
abstract concepts tangible and accessible, ensuring that children develop a deep,
meaningful connection to the subjects they explore.

NATURE TABLE, A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE OUTDOOR LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT AND THE NATURE WORLD

Dr. Montessori strongly believed that exposing children to nature heightens their
awareness of the interdependence and connectedness of all living things. Through this
understanding, children develop a deep respect for the integrity of all life, fostering a
peaceful and harmonious outlook. Montessori referred to this holistic approach as
"Cosmic Education."
T o support this philosophy, the CMS Montessori curriculum prioritizes opportunities for
children to experience and connect with nature. In addition to outdoor activities, the
classroom includes a unique feature called the Nature T able, which serves as a bridge
between the indoor learning environment and the natural world.
The Nature T able is adorned with a variety of natural objects, such as pine cones,
feathers, stones, shells, flowers, leaves, twigs, empty bird nests, etc. It also provides
tools for exploration and investigation, including magnifying glasses, microscopes,
tweezers, and other hands-on resources. T o deepen their understanding, children can
access books featuring stunning real-life photographs and informative content related to
the natural world. This thoughtfully curated space inspires curiosity, discovery, and a
lasting appreciation for nature.