A Prepared Environment

If you choose to supplement your unschooling experience with Montessori Math and Language, especially in the younger years, you will probably need some dedicated space for the stuff you will acquire.

Your prepared environment might look different from someone else’s. I can help you figure out what materials are most needed to help solidify ideas and concepts for your child(ren). I can give you tips on how to make those materials accessible for your child(ren) as part of your prepared unschooling environment.

Beyond the specific Montessori materials at the level of your child, I believe you can never have enough books. You can pick things up at the library and change them out each week or month.

I also like to set children up with a “work plan.” This plan isn’t what I’m assigning to them, it’s a guide to help them plan their own day. Think of the prepared environment as a shopping center that they can look around and find something they are interested in and explore.

Can you assign things? Sure. I suggest that you give large categories and let them choose their direction within those. You might also have a designated read-aloud time during the day or want to work together on unit studies that they help pick out. Just be careful with pre-packaged curriculum. Work needs to be meaningful and not just busy work.