Everyday Living Area

This is a very fun area of our classroom!  This area is designed to develop a sense of order, encourage independence, develop concentration and coordination.  The children also learn how to care for themselves and their environment.  The Everyday Living area is typically full of colorful materials that entice children to work with their hands, which they naturally love doing!  Many different kinds of EDL materials ranging from hand/finger transfer, sorting, pouring, scooping, spooning, tweezing, buttoning, zipping, snapping, polishing, and scrubbing are all strategically displayed on our Montessori shelves.  With great delight, children choose their work, carry their trays to their work space, and work with the material.  From looking and deciding what to choose to carrying the tray carefully to their work space, children are developing their independence.  It takes balance and coordination to carry the trays, which can vary in size and weight. And, preparing the work for the next friend who chooses it instills in the child that they have an important role in the classroom.   The choices for Everyday Living are endless and the works on the shelves are changed frequently based on how much the children are using the material, what Unit Study is going on in the classroom or a holiday we are celebrating.  For example, during our Sea Life Unit, there were small sea life animals in some of the EDL works used for sorting and spooning. We also had a sensory tub filled will sand and sea animals that the children could explore.  During Valentine's Day, we used various objects relating to the holiday that were colorful and attractive to the children.

For the children, this work is great fun!  For the teacher/directress, he/she is indirectly preparing the children for more formal learning.  For example, working in the EDL area of the classroom is indirectly preparing children for reading.  The works are placed on the shelves from left to right and top to bottom so that children's eyes track in this way, preparing them for reading.  In fact, all of our shelves in all areas are set up in this way-the sequence going from left to right and top to bottom.  The items on the tray itself are also set up in this way-for example, a pouring work using colored water from a pitcher to a cup would have the pitcher with the water on the left and the cup on the right. The complete lesson is shown pouring the water into the cup, then pouring the water back into the pitcher.

Peer teaching and learning is an intricate part of the Montessori Method.  The veteran students are diligent to the cause of an organized and well respected classroom.  Older children gain great confidence as the leaders in the the classroom and younger children aspire to do the same.  This is one of the best kept secrets of a Montessori classroom.  As children work together in a Montessori environment, a community of respect, love, and great friendship is born.  The Montessori classroom is student centered.  The teacher guides and supports as well as assures the environment is setting children up for success.  All of this and more unfolds early in a child's Montessori journey beginning with the introduction of the Everyday Living Area.

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