The Montessori Method of education is a unique pedagogical tool that fosters valuable qualities of confidence, independence, and self-reliance in children from a very young age.
The Montessori Method is more than just an educational tool, it is a way of living for most individuals.
Unlike Traditional Educational Institutions that limit your child’s educational and developmental process to mere textbooks or basic curricula, the Montessori Method of education goes beyond that.
The Montessori Method of education lays heavy emphasis on sensory training and auto-didactic education. According to Dr. Maria Montessori children for the initial six years of their lives, are highly susceptible to stimuli and have an Absorbent Mind.
During these periods of sensitivity, it is integral for parents and educators to provide the child with age-appropriate stimuli to promote holistic development.
The Montessori method of education takes the requirements of the absorbent mind into account and provides children with a prepared environment that encompasses appropriate stimuli that promote cognitive, social, emotional, physical, gross motor, and fine motor development.
From meticulously designed Montessori Materials to Systematically developed Montessori Furniture takes each and every need of the child’s development process into account.
One such piece of Montessori Furniture is the Montessori Bookshelf which fosters independence in young children.
If you are a parent, educator, or an immediate caregiver wanting to incorporate a Montessori Bookshelf into the child’s Prepared Environment, here is everything you should know to choose the best Montessori Bookshelf for your child!
What is a Montessori Bookshelf?
A Montessori Bookshelf is essentially a traditional bookshelf that aligns with the Montessori Philosophy and the Montessori Principles.
Montessori Bookshelves are ideally child-sized, front-facing wooden bookshelves that allow easy access to reading materials for children.
While displaying a variety of books isn’t practice specific to the Montessori Classroom Environment, it helps foster independence and confidence in children.
What is the Purpose of the Montessori Bookshelf?
Montessori Bookshelves are an innovative and engaging way of fostering integral values of independence, self-reliance, and confidence in children.
Children are easily attracted to captivating book spines and vividly alluring book covers. Just like the Montessori Shelf, which fashions Montessori Materials and Montessori Toys, Montessori Bookshelves are beautifully adorned with delightful books that draw your child’s attention.
The chief purpose of a Montessori Bookshelf is to allow easy access to books and other educational reading materials for your little one.
The Montessori Bookshelf allows your child to autonomously make decisions with any adult assistance or intervention.
What are the Benefits of The Montessori Bookshelf?
Montessori Bookshelves are front-facing wooden bookshelves that are exactly what your child needs to become confident and independent.
These Bookshelves are a unique aspect of the Montessori Prepared Environment that enhances the child’s play experience.
Here is a list of benefits that the Montessori Bookshelf apart provides for your child:
1. Easy to Reach:
Montessori Bookshelves often sit low, hence making the materials adorned on the shelves easily accessible.
The Montessori Bookshelf should be child-size to allow easy access to the reading material.
2. No obstructions:
Montessori Bookshelves are front-facing opened shelves. These bookshelves do not integrate any drawers or doors that may obstruct the child’s view of the reading materials.
No obstructions allow the reading materials, vibrant book covers, and alluring book titles to be easily visible.
3. Fosters Independence:
The Montessori Bookshelf is a great way to allow your child to indulge in auto-didactic education.
These Bookshelves excite the child’s visual and tactile senses and promote motor development.
Children are encouraged to independently select the books the way to read and place them back into their designated place without any adult supervision.
Montessori Bookshelves have a clean and uncluttered appearance.
The Montessori Bookshelves should display a limited variety of books and reading materials to avoid overstimulating the child and promote the child to make decisions without being overwhelmed.
To keep things exciting and stimulating for the child, adults can either rotate or replace books to provide the child with new choices.
Eye-catching, vibrant, and bold book covers should be displayed to help the child develop an intimate interest in reading.
What to look for when purchasing a Montessori Bookshelf?
While almost all Montessori Bookshelves have the same front-facing feature, they vary considerably in terms of style, and dimensions, and often integrate different numbers of compartments.
In order to purchase a Montessori Bookshelf that accommodates your child’s age-appropriate needs, one should refer to the following points when purchasing.
1. Must be Front-Facing:
The Montessori Bookshelf should be front-facing or open from the front to efficiently display the covers of the books.
Front-facing Montessori Bookshelves allow children to observe or select books without any obstructions.
The Montessori Bookshelf should be child-sized and low sitting to allow easy access. Child-sized Bookshelves allow children to easily reach the books displayed on the Montessori Bookshelves without adult intervention.
3. Neutral and Minimalistic:
Like any other Montessori Furniture, Montessori Bookshelves should be minimal in terms of components and neutral in terms of color.
Neutral and Minimal decoration and colors eliminate distractions and allow children to only focus on the cover of the books without getting overwhelmed.
4. Displays all the books:
The Montessori Bookshelf should have several compartments that efficiently display the cover pages of books of all different sizes and dimensions.
5. Material of the Bookshelf:
Another point to pay attention to while purchasing any Montessori Bookshelf is the material of the bookshelf.
A quintessential Montessori Bookshelf should be manufactured out of long-lasting wood, painted with non-toxic paints, and should be sturdy enough to stand still.
It is also important to consider whether the Montessori Bookshelf will be fixed in a permanent spot in the Prepared Environment or if it will be a portable variant.
Where to Find Montessori Bookshelves?
If you are a parent, educator, or an immediate caregiver, searching for the right bookshelf that aligns with the Montessori Philosophy can be a daunting task.
Here is a list of Bookshelves that beautifully align with the Montessori Principles and are a perfect addition to your child’s Prepared Environment:
1. Floating Bookshelves:
Floating Bookshelves are a modern and minimalistic way of displaying your child’s books!
These Bookshelves are mounted on the wall and definitely add an aesthetic appeal to your child’s educational environment.
The IKEA Kallax shelving units are a great option for efficiently and aesthetically displaying exciting books.
2. IKEA Bookshelves:
IKEA is the solution to all your furniture problems, from Montessori Shelves to Montessori Wardrobes, IKEA integrates almost all Montessori Furniture one may need.IKEA Stores carry some of the most innovative bookshelves.
IKEA has a diverse variety of bookshelves that are accessible and efficiently display your child’s reading material.
3. Wall Mounted Bookshelf:
While having a low-sitting Montessori Bookshelf is great, wall-mounted bookshelves are a great way to save up space.
Wall-mounted Bookshelves are wooden structures that are placed on the wall to display books and other reading materials.
4. Bush Acres Montessori Bookshelf:
The Bush Acres Montessori Bookshelf is a larger variant of common front-facing Montessori Bookshelves. This wonderful Montessori bookshelf can incorporate books for multiple age groups at the same time.
5. Reading Nook Bookshelf:
The KidKraft Wooden Bookcase with Reading Nook is an exciting way to enhance your child’s learning experiences.
Unlike common bookshelves that only display books, the KidKraft Wooden Bookcase with Reading Nook provides the child with a comfortable seating area while they read.
Are Montessori Bookshelves an effective way to foster independence in children?
The Montessori method of education promotes your child to become confident, independent, and self-reliant from a very young age.
From specifically designed Montessori materials to systematically arranged Montessori Furniture, children in a Montessori Prepared environment are encouraged to venture out of their comfort zone and explore new possibilities.
Montessori Bookshelves are no different, these systemically designed front-facing shelves, child-sized allow give your child easy access to their books.
Montessori Bookshelves are an easy way to encourage children to independently choose the books of their choice without adult intervention.
Children when provided with their very own Montessori Shelves become motivated to learn, seek knowledge, and indulge in auto-didactic education.