Menu
 Zpět

Magic mat

There are a few things typical to Montessori classrooms worldwide that might give the casual observer a pause. Picture it: you walk into a beautiful Casa environment, full of children working, many of them on mats rolled out on the floor. The students moving through the room know to step between mats, never on them. Of course, in the beginning of the school year it took many presentations, repetitions and reminders to instill this routine in the students. 

Why do we invest the time, effort and cost in setting up these tools and instilling their proper use in the children?

First of all, Dr. Montessori would undoubtedly tell you that the effort of the students, in manipulating and using trays and mats properly, carries its own reward. Rolling a mat up neatly and tightly takes significant effort, especially to a young child, and practices coordination, care and concentration – all things we believe are important for children to gain. There is, however, much more.

The classroom materials and lessons are – any teacher will tell you – very special things. We treat very special things with care. We don’t allow them to be strewn across the floor, kicked, lost. Instead, we carefully lay them out on beautiful woven mats when working on the floor. This order has a higher purpose and Dr. Montessori spoke often of the need to make the child’s environment beautiful, to fill it with things of value, and to present them in a way that communicates our appreciation of them. 

Most importantly, the mat is an enormous practical aid to the child. It defines her space, forms the boundaries of her work, allows her to oversee all of it at a glance. Compare this to a box of legos strewn all around the floor! In a group, it also allows the child to be respectful of others’ space, and others to be respectful of her – she knows to not let her activity spill outside of the mat and others will know not to step on or take items from her mat, even when she leaves it for a time.

These functions fulfill a fundamental need of the child – one of order and orientation in the environment. We cannot overstate the need of supporting this need in children – or, really, in people of all ages. So whether you work with children in a school setting, are looking for ideas setting up a home environment for your own children, or even for a way to brighten up your own living areas – we hope you will consider investing in a few pretty mats and trays. 

By Michaela Tučková - IMSP Teacher

Want to learn more? Read our next article:

DEALING WITH EMOTIONS THROUGH ART

Další články

Staff Interview: Lisa de Silva

Introducing one of our Primary teachers, Ms. Lisa from Western Australia, who has been with IMSP since 2017.  Since coming to Prague she has furthered her love of work in early childhood education and completed an AMS (American Montessori Society) Early Childhood (ages 3-6) Teacher Certification. Read more about Lisa in an interview with IMSP here:

Read more

Food preparation

Food Preparation activities are very popular in a Montessori classroom.  Not only do children enjoy eating food they’ve prepared themselves, but they learn skills throughout the process.

Read more

Learning Mathematics in our Primary Classrooms

Maria Montessori often stated that not only does every human being have an innate drive to understand the environment around them, we all also naturally have what she called a “Mathematical Mind”. In the Montessori classroom, mathematical learning begins through indirect preparation long before a child is ever introduced to any Math materials.

Read more

Let´s pack for a trip with your Toddler

Summer is the perfect time for trips and outings. A backpack of their very own is a great gift for an older toddler or a pre-schooler:  It builds their independence and confidence as they actively participate in preparing for each trip, and then carry their necessities by themselves.

Read more

Planting Toddlers in Mud

April showers bring May flowers... here we are in the blustery, chilly beginnings of Spring. It is a time of much anticipation as the first leaves and flowers appear, but also often much frustration for parents as seemingly endless mud, rain and puddles interfere with outside play.

Read more
19.11.2018
Join us for an Interactive Open House Register for
Baby & Me
Register for
Toddler & Me
Virtual tour