The Classroom

The Montessori Early Learning Center was once a home, the original structure having been built in 1904. It had already undergone changes when it was purchased for a school in 1981, but still has a ‘homey’ rather than institutional feel. The many windows let in a lot of natural sunlight and views of the Montessori gardens. Entering the school from the front allows a full and open view of the main classroom including the playground, viewed through large plate glass windows, in the rear of the school. The classroom, while open, is divided into defined learning areas.

The Pink Floor
This is where we do all the messy stuff! Lots of water activities, the snack area, art, play doh and such. These activities are rotated frequently so there is always something new to investigate. Water transfer activities, for example, may involve the use of a funnel, a baster, an eye dropper, a dipper, pitchers of unusual shape and design. While the task may remain the same- successfully transfer one container of water ( or beans, or rice, or beads, or sand, or grains) to another or several others containers, without spilling- there are so many attractive and challenging ways to repeat this simple exercise! The variety provided invites them back again, and again, each time with advanced skill.

The Pink Floor also includes the Snack Area which is set up in a private corner during most of the year or out on our small side porch in nice weather. The snack table is set for 3 children to serve themselves at a time. The snack of the day is provided in a basket; a number indicates “how many.” Small pitchers of juice and water are available for them to pour for themselves. They enjoy snacking together in groups of three, often waiting to enjoy having it with a special friend.

The easel is available for both painting and drawing, as well as the ‘art’ table for additional art activities. Can crushing, woodworking, sewing and lacing, science experiments, play doh and other such mediums as well as a water table are also present or are rotated throughout the year. The Pink Floor is a very busy place!

The Blue Carpet Area
Adjacent to the Pink Floor is the Blue Carpet area. Here you will find the Montessori sensorial and math materials, as well as puzzles, parquetry, building materials, alphabets and phonics, and a writing station. Except for a few tables, work in this area is largely done on the floor. Vinyl work mats or cotton rugs are used on the floor to serve as individual work stations which allow children to keep their materials organized and define their personal space. These work mats are rolled and stored in a basket when not in use. In the middle of the Blue Carpet area is a large ellipse imprinted on the carpet. This is where we gather each day for group activities. These activities include lots of music, movement, story time, and conversation. This is also where the teacher demonstrates new activities which will be included in the curriculum.

The House Area
The next adjacent classroom area is the House area. This is where children and their families sign in and depart for the day. Here you will find the loft, which is a private place for a child to be alone, a pretend office, the reading corner, the classroom computer, the listening station, and a writing station. Here also is where the Montessori geography materials are found and where children pursue the serious work of map making. A large variety of group games as well as additional puzzles are also located in the House area. The Nap room, used only for the purpose of rest time, is entered from the House area. Children take naps at school by parent request.

The Green Floor
The green floor is where the children eat lunch. The large lunch tables are used for puzzles and other manipulatives at other times during the day. A large Block area is also located on the green floor where several children can work together on large construction projects. Our second bathroom is also on the green floor.

Playground
The large windows on the green floor look out onto our playground, which includes a large covered pavilion, a grassy play area, a tricycle path and a graveled play area. This area includes a large climbing apparatus, a fort, a geodome, a slide, a playhouse as well as smaller, portable equipment. Under the pavilion are a set of building blocks, a pretend kitchen, a sand table, trucks, balls, buckets and shovels and other outdoor toys. The pavilion as well as a few large trees provide shade on hot summer days, especially appreciated during Kidcamp, our summer program.

The Montessori Gardens
In 2001 the front and side gardens were added to the grounds, as well as a fence, making the entire school grounds accessible to the children. A narrow pathway along the fence line connects the playground to the front garden. Along the way, the children can pick strawberries and stop at the water garden to spy the goldfish living there. On the other side of the water garden is a wooden deck and a fossil stoned patio where we can extend our classroom outdoors in nice weather and where Kidcampers eat their lunch during the summer program. These gardens are filled with a variety of perennials and ornamental plants that were provided by Montessori families from their own home gardens and planted by the children. These gardens are full of color from May through September and provide a lovely backdrop during the winter months.

Returning Students
The classroom is arranged and equipped to meet the needs of children ages 2.5 to 5 years old. This multi-aged grouping includes the returning third year students, as well as those youngsters entering the classroom for their first year. The equipment and activities in the classroom are therefore wide-ranged and varied. As the first year Montessori students return for their second and third years, the classroom more or less remains the same. It is the children who are changed! Each year they arrive with new skills, new interests and see and experience the classroom in whole new ways. They arrive with new confidences and renewed enthusiasm, now serving as mentors and helpers to their younger peers. Materials that were ‘skipped over’ by them the previous year are now of interest and new challenges are awakened. Phonics and mathematics become relevant and the desire to write their own name and other words important to them cannot be ignored.

The Montessori Center is a dynamic and ever-changing environment where all students are working at their own paces pursuing their own interests. As the children develop they are driven to move forward, advancing into the world of the abstract, yet still grounded in the real world of concrete, hands-on activities and experiences. Each year is a first year for some and a ‘new’ class for all, as we forge new friendships and come together to create a new community.