The Prepared Environment

"The first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the adult." (Maria Montessori. The Secret of Childhood: Fides Publishers, 1966.)

Definition: Prepared environment is one of the major foundation of our work. For any living organism is the environment that supports the development of the organism optimal potential. Every living organism has certain environment requirements. A human being is a living organism. A prepared environment for the child is an environment both physical and human that allows the child to reach his full human potential. The prepared environment has to take into consideration the child's personality, culture which the child lives in and stages of development.

Montessori's idea of the prepared environment was that everything the child came in contact with would facilitate and maximize independent learning and exploration. This calm, well-ordered environment has a lot of movement and activity. Children are free to choose and work on activities at their own pace. Here, they experience a combination of freedom and self-discipline, as guided by the environment.

There are two types of environment

A. The physical

B. The Human

The characteristics of physical environment:

Space

Light

Temperature

Furnishing

Sounds

Materials

Safety

The characteristics of human environment:

Behavior

Dynamic

There are seven basic components to the Prepared Environment:

1. Freedom;

2. Structure and Order;

3. Nature and Reality;

4. Beauty and atmosphere;

5. Montessori materials;

6. Development of community life

7. The teacher

FREEDOM

Montessori believed that a child must be free to explore and follow his own natural impulses, thus developing his potential and increasing his knowledge of the world around him. Within the prepared environment, the child must experience freedom of movement, freedom of exploration, freedom to interact socially, and freedom from interference from others. This freedom ultimately leads to a greater freedom: freedom of choice.

"Free choice is one of the highest of all the mental processes."

Maria Montessori: The absorbent mind p;247.

STRUCTURE AND ORDER

Montessori started that there is a sensitive period for order which occurs between the ages of one and three years of age. This is when the child begins to draw conclusions of the world around him. If there is not order to his environment, the child's sense of reason may be off since he will not be able to validate his findings.

So in the classroom all material are returned back to the self when the child is finished working with it. No one is permitted to disturb the child who is working thus not interrupting his work cycle.

NATURE AND REALITY

Montessori had a deep respect and reverence for nature. She believed that we should use nature to inspire children. She continually suggested that Montessori teachers take the children out into nature, rather than keeping them confined in the classroom. This is why natural materials are preferred in the prepared environment. Real wood, reeds, bamboo, metal, cotton, and glass are preferred to synthetics or plastics.

Besides to go out and explore the nature by through the children's senses, we should bring the nature into the classroom. Live plants and animals care.

It is here where child-size real objects come into play. Furniture should be child-size so the child is not dependent on the adult for his movement. Rakes, hoes, pitchers,