The properly prepared environment of a Montessori classroom is of substantial importance in regards to the physical and psychological development of the children who are part of the community. Webster’s Dictionary defines “environment” as “the complex or physical, chemical, and biotic factors that act upon an organism…and ultimately determine its form and survival”, and as “the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community.” Dr. Maria Montessori saw the child as a “forgotten citizen” in a world that was not made for them; a world that is too quick, noisy, and full of danger. Dr. Montessori believed that the children deserved their own space where they could be safe from extraneous hazards of the adult world and where everything was set up to maximize their development. Mario Montessori Sr., Dr. Montessori’s son and fellow educator, concurred with his mother’s findings on the prepared environment and says in his 1976 book Education for Human Development, that “...the prepared environment should bring the world at large, and thus the adult world, within reach of the child at whatever stage of development it is, at any given moment.” The prepared environment of the Montessori classroom is made up of the three parts of an equilateral triangle, all parts equally essential and necessary to create the whole. These parts are 1. A group of children who are in the same stage of development (but not necessarily the same age), 2. Materials and activities which match the needs and work of the children at that stage of development, and 3. A trained adult who understands child development, who can prepare and maintain a special environment, and who can connect the children with the materials and activities within that environment.

It is imperative that the group of children within the same stage of development in the classroom are not all the same age, but a mix of ages. In her book The Child, Society, and the World, Dr. Montessori writes that “this fact makes such a difference, that if one were to put all the ones of the same age together, there would be no success and it would be impossible to apply our method.” The mixed ages of the children help create a cohesive learning environment where older children, who have been in the classroom for several years already, are empowered and encouraged to help the younger, less experienced children find their way and “show them the ropes” so to say. This creates a powerful bond of trust, love, and cooperation within the community of this prepared environment. Although it might seem somewhat controversial these days and against some state and/or local regulations, Dr. Montessori suggested that the ideal classroom would consist of 40 children! Her idea was based on the notion that the children were able to thrive and succeed better with more peers and fewer adults. This is an important detail to keep in mind when creating a prepared environment for a larger group of children of mixed ages that are all within the same developmental stage.

In Mario Montessori’s Education for Human Development, he notes that the materials and activities chosen for the prepared environment of the classroom must “stimulate the interest of the children in the kind of purposeful activity that they need to further their general development.” In order to provide the perfect amount at the perfect time, great thought and consideration is required when deciding which materials to have available to the children. If there is a need for at least one child, then it must be met by having the appropriate items offered for the child or children. The materials and activities throughout the four specific areas of the classroom must meet several other criteria as well including being carefully displayed and accessible on low, open shelves that the children can easily get to themselves. The items ought to be made out of beautiful and natural materials that have inherent natural consequences if dropped or broken and need to be of a proportional size to the child and their hands. In addition to these principles, the materials must also be limited in number, self correcting, with themes of progression from the whole to its parts, from general to specific, from concrete to abstract, from simple to more complex. Dr. Montessori referred to these materials of the prepared environment that offer the perfect situation to the child as their “keys to the world.”

The final side of the prepared environment’s equilateral triangle is a trained adult that can distinguish each individual child’s developmental needs and offer and encourage the materials necessary for their success. This skilled adult in charge of the classroom is the dynamic link between the children and the materials. The adult must be able to support the children through the acknowledged parameters so that no harm is to be done to oneself, to other people in the community environment, or to any of the materials in the prepared environment. The adult must also provide a freedom of choice for the children within the arrangement under certain guidelines. They are at liberty to use any material from the shelf that they have had a lesson, for as long as they want, and then return it to the shelf in proper order so that it is ready for the next person to use and enjoy. To achieve this peaceful flow of the environment, the adult is required to set an exquisite model of appropriate behavior and interactions and offer constant grace-and-courtesy lessons to the children until all the regulations have become natural habits for everyone.

All three parts of the prepared environment are of equal importance. If there is a deficiency in any area, be it not enough children or a lack of proper materials or an adult who is not aware of the developmental needs of the children, then the environment cannot function at its best and as a result, the children may suffer. It is of the greatest importance to keep all of these three parts in an equivalent harmony. In Dr. Montessori’s communications with the Association Montessori International regarding The Child’s Environment, she says, “the right education depends fundamentally on the right environment. Seeing that the child has a distinct life rhythm, and that his activity has different aims from those of adults, he needs an environment apart, specially created for him.”

The prepared environment was one of the things that drew me into the Montessori classroom and began my passion for all things Montessori. As part of my interview process at the first Montessori school I worked in as an assistant, I was asked to sit and observe in a primary classroom. I had spent several years previous working in preschool and daycare environments and was familiar with the idea of low shelves, child-sized tables and chairs, etc. and expected this classroom to be much the same as I didn’t have much of an understanding of Montessori at the time. As soon as I walked into the classroom, my mind was blown! The precision, care, and exactness of all of the materials lined up so orderly on the shelves; and everything was on pretty little trays and baskets, with lots of interesting containers that I hoped the children would open and use so I could see what was inside. I was captivated by all the unique activities on the shelf and had completely no idea what they were or what they were for. In addition to the absolute beauty of the environment, the children were all going about their own business with a lighthearted joy and care for one another, not exactly the rowdy chaos that I was familiar with in other traditional preschools. The teacher was soft-spoken and seemed so connected and personable with each child she spoke to. I knew right away that I wanted that job. I still feel engaged with the wonders of the prepared environment and love observing the busy hum of my own classroom with all its developmentally appropriate, beautiful, and engaging activities that stimulate curiosity and learning for the children.

Meagan Johnson, TTMS Children's House Guide

March 2024