Last week after my post on our new learning space, a kind reader offered wonderful feedback and had a few great questions about the logistics of our days in our Montessori inspired learning environment. I thought it would be most beneficial if I responded to her questions not in a private email to her but in a follow-up post just in case others may have had the same questions. M has a two year old son and plans to homeschool him. She finds herself curious about how to marry the Montessori method with home life. I think it's a worthy conversation. There are certainly many considerations. I hope this Q & A finds itself useful to some of you!
Does Bea have access to the materials at all times?
Yes, Bea has access to the Monterssori materials at all times. I don't restrict when she may work, but I have noticed that she will most often choose work when she is well rested. Most often in the morning. It is as if the work calls to her to center herself, like a meditation or inhaling deeply...When she is ready to engage in the world, she'll most often choose to play - or exhale. One of the greatest pleasures of staying home and/or teaching with her alongside me, has been to get to know her rhythms. They are like tiny keyholes that allow me to take small peeks into her soul.
Are you with Bea the whole time she is using her learning space?
I'm near her but not always solely focused on her. I do give her formal lessons on materials which is a new dynamic between the two of us. Up until recently, she would refuse formal lessons. She learned a great deal by observing her friends or observing me from across the way...She's getting old enough now to know that she needs a lesson (she needs to be prepared in some way) before she is given the OK to work with new activities.
Oh, but we have had a conversation about when I am available to give lessons. We've concluded that mama can not give lessons during dinner prep. :)
I would like to be present with J while he is in the "classroom", and if he has access to the materials at any time of the day I worry there is more chance of my being less attentive.
One of the great reasons we wanted to have the materials integrated into our main living area was so that we (Beatrix, Byron, and I) could share our work space. The kitchen is the heart of the home! I am convinced there is truth in this adage. I have a full view from the kitchen, and I seem to almost always be planted there, so I can easily wash dishes or prepare a meal while keeping my eyes on what she is doing. We do so much living in this one great room, that it makes it quite easy to work alongside her. I do observe Beatrix working just as I observe her playing or helping me in the kitchen or tend to the garden. But it is almost always in the form of a pause from whatever work I'm engaged in. Of course, there are times that I stop my work, and spend uninterrupted time with her to help her overcome a challenge or to present a new lesson. However, just as I am in the class, I feel comfortable knowing that I will not see everything she does. However, we've always been consistent in our expectations of handling her toys or Montessori materials. I think the consistency has empowered her because she knows what to expect. I jot down most of my notes about her work and lessons I would like to show her on our chalkboard (which is in the kitchen).
I read a post from another Montessori homeschooling mama who said she felt the materials were better respected by her son, and "protected" from other children who might be in the house for playdates, etc., and who weren't familiar with the proper way to handle them when housed in a separate room.
I feel grateful that Bea is generally very respectful with her toys and the Montessori materials. She's been in a Montessori environment since she was five months old, so she's grown up observing and discovering how to handle the materials. I can trust her and know that I can leave her for moments as I put away laundry, tidy up another room, or make a quick phone call. Children adapt so quickly once they know our expectations. Parents and teachers are lucky in that children's strong sense of order works in our favor at this stage.
I must admit that I am curious as to how I will approach having visitors in the "classroom." Perhaps the most precious materials can be removed. I've also seen beautiful silks draped over the shelves so as not to invite little hands from using the materials inappropriately.
On a related note, I thought I noticed Bea's "toys" (play kitchen, etc.) in another room close to her learning area. Have you found any problems having toys and "work" so close together?
We decided to incorpate natural, open-ended play toys into the Monessori environment at The Natural Child when we opened our doors in 2009. Though the play area was tucked into it's own cozy nook, the room was not large. We noticed that weeks would go by and hardly a little one would choose to play. Instead they would opt for "real" work. Then, the seasons would change, the energy would shift, and once again the play area would become popular. Ebb and flow has been my experience. The children do a really nice job of recognizing the qualitative differences between the materials and toys. Perhaps the reason is that they are in such a sensitive period for classifying and maintaining order that this task speaks to their growth and development.
Does Bea just flow between them (toys and work)?
In our home, Bea's play kitchen is situated very close to the other Montessori shelves and in the kitchen. She rarely tries to mix her toys with the Montessori materials. As mentioned above, she does have moods, which I theorize, influence her choice between work and play, so that the two rarely get intermixed.
Is there a separate area of the house for her books?
She has a reading nook in her bedroom. I'm hopeful that once the screen porch is built, I can carve out a reading nook in the front room of the house or on the porch. For now, we tote books around the house as needed...
Since Bea attended your school last year, she is probably ahead of J in terms of understanding "ground rules", or do these sorts of ground rules not apply in a homeschool setting?
I think Bea's years with me in the classroom have definitely helped her to internalize the "ground rules". However, I also believe that if a family and a school share the same values, the child will adapt easily to the expectations of the school environment because it will align with his/her own expectations at home. These ground rules provide the foundation for it all, I believe. In our home, there is a way to play and to work - not because we are rigid, but because we must learn to consider our surroundings and the other people that we share our days with. As a result, we have respect for each other, respect for the environment, and respect for our materials. Once we understand this concept, learning happens effortlessly and joyfully! Freedom immerges when we discover discipline.
Where did you purchase materials?
I've happily purchased materials from the Montessori Outlet, Kid Advance, Montessori Services, and Michael Olaf. I'm also no stranger to Craigslist. I can't tell you how many wonderful items I've scored for bargain prices.
Am I trying too hard to make a Montessori school in my home, instead of homeschooling? It really struck me about what you said about not wanting your space to be "overly consuming" or "overdone".
My advice is to keep it simple. Don't feel that you need to have everything out on the shelf at all times. Rotate activities and materials as needed. Do not get down on yourself or your little one, if you notice their interest waning away from the work. He will return. Follow your gut. Follow your heart. Follow your child. Look for signs of joy, contentness, and peace. Listen for the hum of the sweet tune of childhood. When you recognize these precious gifts, you will know that you and your little one are right where you need to be no matter which path you travelled to get there.
