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Willa
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Once someone on my classical list said that she had her children use MOntessori mats to contain their play/work materials.
I have looked it up on google but can't find an explanation of the concept -- just mats for sale.
Does someone know more about this or can give me links or resources to read up on it a bit more? I've read several Montessori books but haven't seen the idea mentioned within those.
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PDyer
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My son attended a Montessori school until his K year. The mats (or carpets, in that school's parlance) are used to delineate a work space. The mats I've seen in person are simple cotton throw rugs without a backing. I'm looking for one or two for home right now.
I found a picture here. It's on the lower left hand corner of the page. Sorry for the PDF file.
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onemoretracy
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I think you can use a towel or bathrug, as far as I know it doesn't have to be a specific type of mat, but I am so new at all of this!
It seems the idea is to let each child create an independant workspace and also to keep it sort of off-limits for other kids. They just unfold or unroll it where they will be working and then place whatever materials they are working with on it or right above it. I like the idea of a personal space area.
I think I need a mat too 
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CatholicMommy
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I found a few sets of place mats (variety of style, but tried for neutral colors and little/no design) at a thrift store. When the children want a bigger area, they are welcome to put several mats together. I also have a couple of those rag-rugs for a larger option, and I've given the kids old towels to work on - whatever works and doesn't cost anything!
In addition to delineating work space for that child, I also see the benefit in other children not walking through that child's work, but learning to walk around it. For example, when my son is building a block tower, the other children know to walk around the edge of the mat, which is big enough to allow ample space around the building itself. We've taken to using them for just about everything, to really drive home the virtue of respect for others and control of movement.
Even my older children (age 8) love the mats - to keep the younger children from interrupting their work, whether it's coloring or actual schoolwork.
~Jessica
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I love the *idea* of this, but I know that my 21 month old will just drag it around the house. Maybe I will try it with my almost 5 yo and see if they can work side by side on mats???
Montessori is difficult for my busy boy and I want so much for him to be able to sit, for anything!
Blessings!
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Elizabeth posted a bit about the mats here in this entry.
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Elizabeth
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Hey, thanks Theresa! I was going to search and link and now, I'm goign to bed instead.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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ShawnaB
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 Ha! I just posted a link to that same Blog entry in the Real Learning Forum! Yes, it is a VERY good post. I, too, have a mat question. What material and size do you suggest? I've found felt, wool, bamboo, rug, etc...
Meredith, I'm with you, our babies would just drag them around. (remember Thing 1 and Thing 2 from the Cat in the Hat?) After reading the Practical Life with Little Ones entry, I am so curious to hear what age you find it possible to begin Montessori instruction. How long might you expect a 18 month old, or a 2 year old, to stay and play? Can you expect an under three year old to not dump everything from the Montessori shelves? Are my expectations too low? My solution has been to put everything out of reach and only take down one or two activities at a time. Have you ever tried substituting a mat with a booster seat (equipped with a seat belt) and a snap on tray?
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Elizabeth
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Shawna,
Mine are woven rag rugs from Target. They roll up easily and they fit in a wicker hamper. I'm going through pix to see if you can see them anywhere. If not, I'll post some.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Elizabeth
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Katie and Nicky are sitting on them in the pictures in this post.Couldn't find a picture of the hamper...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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The one tricky thing about using throw rugs as mats is that they are thick-ish so it can be hard for some of the work to "stand up" on them; this is especially true of some of the figures in the Atrium works. Lots of works in both Atrium and general Montessori work just fine on throw rugs. I think, though, that the woven mats are a better idea overall.
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And I find that some very inexpensive trays on top of the woven rugs serve as a sturdier work surface. I found unfinished trays at the craft store. You can see one of them in the post linked above. The metal insets are on it.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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We use the same type of rug that Elizabeth uses. As far as ages to begin using them, I'd say right around two they are able to be shown how to take one out, unroll it, and practice rolling it up to put away.
Of course, they are rolled a little crookedly, often get forgotten to put away, etc. but it is all part of the process.
By three they are pretty good at it here.
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Elizabeth, I have baby step logistic questions:
I love your posts on the preschool materials and I can see that you store the materials right on the tray and put it on the shelf. You mention that you use a hamper for your mats...
Do your children open the hamper first, get out a mat and then pick out a project...or
Do you pick the projects and set them out on mats...
Just trying to figure out how to store things in my house and I'm stuck on the mats...
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onemoretracy wrote:
It seems the idea is to let each child create an independant workspace and also to keep it sort of off-limits for other kids. They just unfold or unroll it where they will be working and then place whatever materials they are working with on it or right above it. I like the idea of a personal space area. |
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This is what I was wondering about.
Seven year old with praxis difficulties needs the work space boundaries and four year old needs some guidelines for keeping little bits within a limited area and also for keeping hands off siblings' activities.
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My girls work more at the table with trays but we do have mats we pull out on occasion. I decided to pull them out (they are in the game closet) this morning due to this discussion and the girls have spent the whole morning on them.
Here they are.
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They get out the mat, unroll it and then they choose a project.
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Willa
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This is very useful. Thanks.
Another question: what ages? I see the lower limit is whenever you can teach them to understand the concept. But what about upper limit?
Any specific words you use to teach them what the boundaries are about?
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My ten year old just did some work classifying vertebrates this morning. He spread out a mat in front of him and laid out the work. For the most part, he works on a table but once in a while I see him take out a mat.
Willa, here are some links that might help to present the rug/mat to a child who has not used one before:
Rolling up the rug
Walking around a rug/mat
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ShawnaB wrote:
Meredith, I'm with you, our babies would just drag them around. (remember Thing 1 and Thing 2 from the Cat in the Hat?) After reading the Practical Life with Little Ones entry, I am so curious to hear what age you find it possible to begin Montessori instruction. How long might you expect a 18 month old, or a 2 year old, to stay and play? Can you expect an under three year old to not dump everything from the Montessori shelves? Are my expectations too low? My solution has been to put everything out of reach and only take down one or two activities at a time. Have you ever tried substituting a mat with a booster seat (equipped with a seat belt) and a snap on tray?
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I LOVE this idea Shawna, I'm totally at the Cat and the Hat, my Toddler is like both of them rolled into one!! I am struggling with how much to have out at one time as well. I moved our Magic Cabin play arch to the school room as it has benches on each side, but they can be used as shelves as well, and I've been placing a knobbed puzzle, stacking cups and maybe one other thing for him to work on, but most of the time he just pushes them off and climbs on it 
I know it's just a phase, but it's a bit agonizing waiting for him to be patient enough to actually *work* at/on something Montessori style for any more than 20 seconds!
I am going to get two mats, one for the almost 5yo and for him and see if that will give a little more boundary for th work. I also have trouble with my 5 yo *playing* with the toddlers *work* inappropriately, (read throwing things around the room) or using them for weapons or other items in which they are certainly NOT intended for
I know God gave me three boys to try my patience daily, this is ertainly my Lenten cross, toddlerhood 
Great thread, thanks Rebecca and Elizabeth for the ideas!
Blessings!
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Mats?
