The learning house

If you were to reach out for a Toblerone, would you be able to accurately state what shape it is? What about a can of baked beans, or an egg? If you were to pose those same questions to children at a Montessori preschool, they would accurately be able to give you the answers: triangular prism, cylinder and ovoid. Interestingly enough, in a traditional Montessori setting they wouldn’t be taught about shapes or any other concept for that matter: instead, the environment around them would be set to encourage, engage and invite exploration, and would thus be a backdrop to their self-directed process of discovery.

Most educational philosophies pay at least some attention on the educational value of the environment and view it not only as a backdrop to learning, but a participant in the learning process. Because most of a child’s early years are spent at home, it makes sense to design a home that is an organic learning space.

By Umm Zakariyya

Learning through Map Zones

umm zakariyya, books, educational toys, puzzles