With spring, comes spring cleaning and organizing! The Montessori learners have been enjoying refreshing the studio by wiping down shelves and washing materials as we rotate our units of study. We rotate our materials for two reasons:
- We only want a few materials out at a time, so the children aren’t overwhelmed by too many choices. This helps them care for the materials and maintains order.
- We want to keep the children interested, engaged, and curious. If learners aren't using a particular activity, we will usually put it away for a couple of weeks. Then when we get it out again, the children often have a renewed interest in it. It also prolongs the life of materials. Similarly, changing one aspect of the activity (from spoon to tongs, or large wooden beads to small glass ones) can refresh a learner’s interest.
I often recommend that families try a similar method at home. For example, during holidays, such as Christmas or birthday time, when a child is swamped with presents, rotating what is available to a child means all (or most) of the toys and books will get used.
Also, limiting the number of books to read or toys to play with will help maintain them and reduce lost or damaged items. If you notice items becoming damaged or lost, you can speak to your child about it. Try, “I notice a page is ripped in this book. What can we do to fix it?” or “I see you are missing a piece of that puzzle. Where is the best place to keep puzzles so we can keep all the pieces safe?” Mending toys, books, and even clothes together with your child is a wonderful experience that helps build respect and care for the things we truly love.