The Montessori schools are sending low-cost Montessori materials to keep learning momentum and facilitate active learning at home. Many parents do not know how to arrange them and wonder whether to stack or organise them. If organised, on what basis?
There are four rules for displaying the materials as attractive, inviting, and stimulating for the children.
The first rule, display the materials within reach of the child’s eyes and hands.
This rule has two parts. One, the child should be able to see the materials, two he should be able to take out the materials by himself without anybody’s help.
Note how the showrooms display their products. They do not hide but show their products beautifully with all their characteristics visible. To make the materials seen, they must be arranged or displayed. Similarly, Montessori materials must be exhibited neatly, one next to the other on an open shelf. In this kind of display, the child can see all the materials at once.
The second part, for making the materials reachable, the rack should be of comfortable height. The most suitable rack height for 2 ½ to 6 years is a 30-inch-high rack with a 2-inch gap between the floor and the bottom-most shelf. The stand with three shelves – one foot apart is handy. For younger children, the lower two shelves display the materials, while the top shelf is used for decorative showpieces.
The Second Rule is that the materials are to be displayed in a prepared manner. The ready state of materials stimulates the child to work with them. In Exercises of Practical Life, the materials are displayed in complete sets. For instance, The pouring water material has a jug, three glasses and a moping cloth on a tray. A pounding set has a fried gram box, a powdered gram box, a mortar, a spoon, and a piece of wiping cloth on a tray.
In Sensorial Activities, the materials are displayed the way they look when the activity is correctly performed. This arrangement acts as a control of error in Sensorial Activities, motivating the child to work.
The third rule is “Displaying in Orderly manner”, meaning the materials should be arranged orderly from old activities to new, either clockwise or anti-clockwise fashion. The places of the materials, thus arranged, should not be changed. A golden rule is a place for everything and everything in its place. See that everything has a place at home. Do not change its location unless very essential. When you do so, please inform the children about the change and why.
The fourth rule is “According to the level”. Some materials are used at floor level, some at a higher level on chowki or table. The things which are used on the floor are to be displayed on the floor. For instance, the mats are used on the floor. Hence, they need to be displayed on the floor and not on the shelf. Similarly, the napkins are to be displayed on the shelf.
Thus, one needs to keep in mind all these four rules – within reach of the child’s eyes and hands, in a prepared and orderly manner, and where the material is used, while displaying the Montessori materials to stimulate the child and increase his level of work.
