“What the schools need is more liberty, not such a contraption as a desk.” – The Discovery of the Child by Maria Montessori.
Maria Montessori believed in children sitting on the floor while working with their materials. She strongly felt that children had more freedom of movement when they worked on the floor. But she did not want the children to place the materials on the floor, so she came up with the concept of a work rug.
Work rugs are an integral part of a Montessori Classroom. The work rugs are usually either 24×36 inches or 28×42 inches in size. They are available in a tub at all times for the child to use. When a child starts his/her work, they will unroll the rug on the floor and then get their materials. Unrolling the rug signifies the start of a lesson, and rolling the rug back means the official end of the activity. This process is also a big part of a child becoming Normalized.
Rolling and unrolling a rug or even using a rug to work may seem very trivial to us, but according to Maria Montessori, the benefits are many.
- Defined workspace – The child will learn to respect each other’s workspace and learn to walk around it.
- Not disturb others – Ask for permission to join in a lesson with another student.
- Fine and Gross Motor Controls – The child’s motor controls become better every time they roll and unroll a rug or when they carry it from one spot to another.
- Read and write – Children learn to place the materials from left to right and top to bottom, the same way we read and write.
The use of a work rug in a Montessori classroom encourages a child’s independence and makes them self-reliant. Next time your child requests a floor rug at home to work, encourage them to use one.
Presented by Ms. Alice and Ms. Aparna
References:
NAMC
Thanks for the good post!