A Montessori Education encompasses all areas of the child’s life: academic, social, emotional and physical. Montessori Instructors, referred to as Directors or Directresses due to their role of directing what is going on in the environment, are specially trained in all areas of child development. Although some schools have specialists (music, art, physical education…), children are typically exposed to all academic areas by one Directress.

The environment is prepared to support the child’s natural curiosity, needs, wants and desires. The Directress and any assistants in the room prepare the room before the children arrive. As the age of the children increases, the children can participate in the preparation of the environment (sharpening pencils, making sure there is an adequate paper supply…).

Materials in the classroom are purchased or created by the Directress. Most materials are beautifully crafted out of quality materials, such as wood, so as to last and to be as natural as possible. Materials are designed to meet the needs of each child and are intended to be used by the children. The materials are set up on shelves the children care for (straighten and clean every day). The children choose work freely from the shelves. Work is set up in an orderly fashion from easiest to hardest, simplest to most complex.

Some work will remain on a shelf year round, while other materials may be put out or withdrawn depending on children’s interest and curricular planning. A material that is not used by the children over a period of time is usually removed from the environment. Changing the work in some way or re-introducing it at a later date is often used to regain the children’s interest in the material.

Children are either presented lessons on a material before using the material or explore the material independently. Many times in a Montessori environment the child is allowed and encouraged to make discoveries. The Directress encourages exploration. Exploration is one of the components of a Montessori education that motivates children to think independently. The explorative nature also fosters a love of learning not always found in other methods of education.

© 2006, I. Weland, Pen to Paper