Montessori is a wonderful program!
It is one of the most fantastic programs for younger children that I have ever come across.
On one hand, we love the interactive, independent, hands-on activities.
Children learn so much better when they have uninterrupted periods of concentration, self-assessment and self-correction.
Please remember to visit our resources hub for Montessori Curriculum 3-6 activities and lessons!
On the other hand, though, many complain that Montessori uses so many hands-on materials that the physical bulk of it can be quite overwhelming.
Well, it can be, but not if you have a plan.
In this post, we show you how to develop your plan to keep that overwhelming bulk at bay and learn how to organize Montessori materials at home!
Best Montessori Books for Parents
Here are some great books that will encourage you in your journey:
How To Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori Way, 2nd EditionMontessori at Home Guide: 101 Montessori Inspired Activities for Children Ages 2-6Montessori: A Modern Approach: The Classic Introduction to Montessori for Parents and TeachersThe Discovery of the Child
1 Out in the Open
This is exactly like what you would see in any given Montessori environment.
All of the materials are set out for children to me you and explore and all times.
Remember that when there is plenty of room, children are able to explore their own interests and use any work according to their level of concentration until they are completely done with it.
As much as I really wanted this to be our situation, realistically, we did not have enough room in our homeschool room for all of our Montessori materials to be set out at all times.
We opted for another option since this, our first option, wasn’t feasible.
2 In a Closet
If You have a closet in your Montessori or homeschool environment, you can definitely use it to store your Montessori materials there.
You can keep everything you have in the closet and take out just what you want to use at the time.
It will be stored safely and you can store it by subject or by materials that have been introduced already and by materials that have not been used yet.
Large Storage Boxes [3-Pack] EZOWare Large Linen Fabric Foldable Storage Cubes Bin Box Containers with Lid and HandlesSodynee Foldable Cloth Storage Cube Basket Bins Organizer Containers Drawers, 6 Pack, BeigeHomz Plastic Underbed Storage, Stackable Storage Bins with Blue Latching Handles, 60 Quart, Clear, 2-PackIRIS USA 105000 30
3 In Shelves
Maybe you have tall shelves where you can store all of your Montessori materials, even if they aren’t reachable for children.
Don’t worry, that is totally fine.
The purpose of these shelves are for storage, not for the Montessori environment usage.
This will free up a lot of room on your actual environment shelves to display the works that you are working on.
4 In a Separate Room
Do you have a homeschool room?
Then you have a little more leeway in terms of how many Montessori materials you have out in the open on your display shelves and how many you store elsewhere.
Regardless, having a homeschool room will give you more freedom when it comes to storage.
I am in this situation and love it!
I know that not everyone wants a dedicated homeschool room and not everyone has the room for one.
But if you do have a homeschool room, take advantage to set up an area for Montessori works only.
2 Tiers Natural Bamboo Shoe Bench Shoe Rack Organizer Entryway Storage Shelf 27.17 x 10.24 x 29.72 Inches L x W x H with High and Low LevelsA+ ChildSupply Low Storage Cabinet
5 In Bins or Boxes
I have friends that have their Montessori environments in unique spaces, such as a basement, a sunroom and the dining room.
For these cases, bins or boxes have come in handy because they can be stacked up, placed on shelves or even be wheeled around, if they happen to have wheels or are on a cart.
My friends label the bins so they can see what works are in there.
One friend sets out the bins on her dining room floor along the wall.
She has one bin for each subject and has 2-3 works in each bin.
This also helps her keep track of what’s been used.
The bins can be sorted by subject (most practical) and also by holiday.
This makes it so easy to spot, set up and clean up. Doesn’t it sound ideal?
And as the years go by, the more seasonal or holiday works you have, you can easily see what subjects you’re lacking to create the work for that.
You can also sort the works by age!
Have a bin for Baby works, one for Toddler woks, for works that can e introduced at age 3, one for age 4, age 5, 6 and also have bins for Elementary-aged works.
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If you are using my Free Montessori Curriculum list, you will know that I list the top (first) ten Montessori works to present for each and every Montessori subject.
This is also a way you can sort your works to make it easy for you to know what you will present first.
It will save you a lot of time in the long-run.
Whatever works for you is what you need to go with.
I say test out different methods suggested here to see what is best for you and your journey.
Remember: the key here is to keep you organized in the best way possible, to save you time with setup and cleanup and to keep the ball “rolling.”
Homeschool Printable Montessori at home Labels
Here are the labels that I made.
There are 32 of them.
I have made some blank ones for you to customize the label, but I have also made some by subject, age, season and holiday.
Print them out on cardstock, laminate them and cut them individually.
Use permanent marker or dry erase markers to add details on the lines.
To get the file, simply enter your email below and then check your inbox.
The file will be there waiting for you!
AmazonBasics Thermal LaminatorScotch Thermal Laminating Pouches, 8.9 x 11.4-Inches, 3 mil thick, 100-Pack (TP3854-100)Sharpie 1949557 Color Burst Permanent Markers, Fine Point, Assorted Colors, 24-CountDouble Stick Tape Double Sided Tape(18mm x 25m,3 Rolls)
You will appreciate these printable labels for your home environment for young children.
It will make Montessori learning at home better because you will be more organized with all of Your Montessori activities.
Dr. Maria Montessori would be so proud to see how you keep the materials in order.
Thank you for reading our How to Organize Montessori Materials at Home post!
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5 A second follow-up email/contact 1-2 weeks after the video coaching call to see how client is progressing and to see if another video call needs to be scheduled
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