Montessori Classrooms

Decorative pumpkin in a woven basket, green houseplants in glass and ceramic pots, on a wooden surface near a window

Montessori classrooms, often called Prepared Environments, are intentionally designed to support children's natural development, independence, and curiosity. Every element, from the layout to the materials, is arranged with purpose and intention, allowing children to move, choose, and work freely within clearly defined boundaries.

Montessori Classrooms…

  • Are safe, cooperative communities where children learn how to help others and reach out for help

  • Are environments that have been carefully prepared, made of all the essentials for optimal development

  • Extend out into the world beyond the school, both physically and imaginatively

  • Are a place where students move from one activity to another—both independently and in groups—rather than sitting still in front of a teacher

  • Provide activities for each age group and developmental level

  • Are a place where children are free to make choices, combining freedom with their developing sense of discipline and responsibility

“The teacher's first duty is to watch over the environment, and this takes precedence over all the rest. Its influence is indirect, but decisive.”

— Montessori, M. (1967). The Absorbent Mind, p. 267