Table of ContentsIntroductionMaria Montessori and her ideas about the prepared environmentConclusionReferencesIntroductionThis essay focuses on how the elements of Dr. Maria Montessori's prepared environment encourage and allow children to develop certain traits like curiosity, self-control, self-regulation and character. It therefore becomes more relevant to describe at this stage what is the environment prepared by Montessori and what are its key elements. In the context itself, when we talk about prepared environment, we refer to an environment which is arranged/prepared/organized to improve and stimulate certain abilities of an individual/person which enabled him to develop and refine his underlying qualities and behaviors.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayMaria Montessori and Her Ideas on Prepared EnvironmentExpanding on the above explanation of prepared environment in terms of Montessori, when we refer to Montessori's prepared environment, Maria Montessori presented an educational way original in which, apart from the books, she also presented many objects and materials that would encourage a program participant to learn in a new way by engaging with these materials and objects, the objective being to develop the qualities and traits underlying assets of the participant. thereby improving their communication and interpretation abilities and skills for future life skills. This explanation of the Montessori prepared environment is supported by Matijević (2012) when they explore how teaching scenarios have changed over time with the advent of technology such as television, internet and the latest media developments social media and how these new media help today's participants. learning. As stated above, we can state that the essential elements in any Montessori prepared environment will be dozens of materials and objects/equipment and these materials were developed by Dr. Montessori and his collaboration with others over the course of its period which are an integral part of learning and imparting education in any Montessori facility or educational training institute imparting Montessori education. Education and learning are two different phenomena. Education is an activity that imparts knowledge and learning is the process of acquiring a skill and this is well supported by (Al, Sari and Kahya, 2012) that education has different aspects and progresses under the the effect of many factors. On the other hand, learning is a multifaceted activity that tests the motivation and physical condition of students. However, the resources provided to teachers and their skills along with the curriculum play a vital role in a child's education. In addition, there is another important factor, that is, the physical condition and design of the learning environment have an effect on the teaching and learning process. “Since it has proven necessary to give so much to the child, let us give him a vision of the entire universe. The universe is an imposing reality and an answer to all questions. “As Maria Montessori says, teaching children is not about one core subject or area, it is a holistic approach and the more experiences we provide to a child, the better their learning will be, it is for life Just like his approach to teaching children, which offered great independence to the child in developing his skills.Montessori's prepared environment focused on many aspects. His ideology of teaching and education was to facilitate independence and discovery. She encouraged children to be free to choose and follow their own interests in a planned and prepared environment, rather than learning something that is not developmentally appropriate. There are generally six main beliefs of a prepared environment that Maria Montessori emphasized. These are: The freedom to move, explore and express yourself. Structure and OrderBeautyNature and RealitySocial EnvironmentIntellectual EnvironmentMaria Montessori always believed that a child should have the freedom of movement to explore and follow his own interests, which will lead to the development of interest and knowledge of the environment around him . She emphasized freedom of movement and exploration as well as a prepared setup in which a child can work without any interference from others. Additionally, we understand that freedom of movement is closely linked to children's cognitive development, as proven scientific and cognitive studies support rapid learning and understanding when movements are aligned with what needs to be learned. (Edwards, 2006) The teacher acts as a guide. in which, using all their efforts, they stimulate a child to act, want and think for himself. Although structure and order seem to be the inverse of the aforementioned freedom, a well-organized Montessori classroom setup reflects the way the universe works in an organized manner. model. So the materials for a Montessori classroom are neatly arranged on the shelves. The children understand that they must return the material to the same place where they collected it. This sense of order and organization encourages self-control and regulation and allows children to develop concentration and understand the environment around them. Additionally, the structure and order of the organized materials allows the child generous choice and control over what they work on, resulting in consistent development. of their abilities to learn and organize their actions, which leads us to generalize that it allows the development of self-regulation and self-control traits in children. Furthermore, there is scientific empirical evidence demonstrating that the structured and organized environment in the Montessori classroom promotes and establishes a beneficial mental order for the child. Beauty, in Maria Montessori's words, was not a glittering, highly decorated classroom, but rather meant an environment that is neat and well-maintained. She emphasized a refined configuration that would contribute to the maintenance of peace and the development of self-regulation. The beauty of a Montessori-prepared environment even lies in the physical features considered when arranging the facility. Everything in the environment is child-sized material with an accessible shelf size to provide the independence that is integral to developing self-confidence, limiting interference from teachers. and allowing freedom of choice as well as freedom of movement. Nevertheless, Maria Montessori even emphasized the importance of an environment close to nature and reality where children can stimulate and channel their intrinsic curiosity to discover the beauty of their environment and the world in which they live. in the emotional development of children, in which they are able to be more in harmony with the environment around them. It is more about learning in a systematic and meaningful context with the use of materialsand objects rather than learning in abstract form. It is even argued by (Edwards, 2006) that children are able to learn more gradually in a sequential pattern in which even when their minds, which may sometimes wander into the realm of the imaginary world but with the very presence of an environment natural orderly and organized, they would. they themselves engage and participate well, capturing their curiosity and attention. Montessori equipment or materials, as we say, developed by Maria Montessori, are a true representation of nature and reality because they are developed using glass, wood, steel, fiber, fabric and other natural elements from our environment, giving a true sense of the real world. Activities that encourage silence are carried out and learning to carry materials carefully, all add to the beauty of the prepared Montessori environment. The first consideration is given to the fact that by attending an early childhood setting, a child will develop the maximum of his or her social skills. Peer interaction or in other words social environment is also an important element and plays a central role in the Montessori method of learning and child development. So, the “Grace and Courtesy” lessons are a perfect example and are an integral part of a Montessori classroom. It's about guiding children to the tools they need to interact kindly and confidently. And as children get older, they are more likely to learn collaboratively. The Montessori method respects their natural inclinations and children can choose to work alone or in groups and help each other. The Montessori environment is considered a teacher in itself. Most Montessori materials are self-taught in nature and children can easily identify and correct their own mistakes. The importance of teaching materials in successful teaching has even been supported by (Bloju and Stan, 2013) in their research stating that it is necessary to achieve certain objectives and Maria Montessori always stated that children should be taught to s adapt to changes and prepare them for future challenges which may be different from today. Each activity provides a defined learning experience and then gradually moves to more complex tasks, enhancing intellectual growth and preparing children for decision-making in life to come. This is recognized by (White, Yussen and Docherty, 1976) that Montessori exercises address the critical concepts underlying them and that each child finds the inner peace and satisfaction that emerges from his own work. From the aforementioned elements of a Montessori prepared environment, we can infer that the Montessori system is a holistic system helping to develop traits like curiosity, self-control, good character and helps in self-regulation. It provides children with opportunities to explore and develops respect for others and self. The idea that the Montessori method helps encourage imagination and that children generally demonstrate greater creativity is well supported by Besançon (2008). Paul Tough in his book How Children Succeedn (2012) argues that success is not just about intelligence as is always said, but that it has to do with certain traits like curiosity, perseverance, optimism and courage. As reviewed by Shukla, Sarita Y. (2015), they call Tough's book an exceptional analysis of the cognitive hypothesis. He reflects on the skills that lead to children's success and builds on his theory using primary resources such as case studies and.