Multi Age Montessori Home Learning: How Our Shelves Evolve for Elementary & Preschool

As my two children in differing planes of development grow, so does our Montessori shelf setup, evolving to meet their respective learning needs while keeping child-led exploration of interests at its core.

6+ year-old M currently attends a mainstream primary school from 7.30am-1.30pm, the elementary parts of our Montessori shelf are designed for her after-school exploration. 3+ year-old m does not attend a preschool and is homeschooled full-time, so we have all the age-appropriate resources out on the preschool parts of the shelf.

This is what we hoped to provide via shelf work for both M and m:

  • visual and tactile support (e.g. Math manipulatives, Science experiment tools) for academic work M learns in the MOE syllabus
  • broaden learning to interests extending beyond academic curriculum for M
  • build fundamentals in languages, geometry, math, practical life for m

Due to space constraints, I chose to set up the shelves in a way that is more tailored for older, elementary-aged kids who have internalised order and know where to look for items (e.g. with materials in closed bins, materials stacked). Despite this shelf design being less "inviting", my younger child remains interested in engaging with the shelf materials. When m is at times drawn to elementary-grade materials for M (thanks to mirror neurons), I would let him explore - in a respectful and responsible manner.

Great Lessons Shelf

The Montessori Great Lessons serve as the foundation for cosmic education, bridging understanding of how knowledge across various fields is interconnected. We’re progressing at a slow pace with the Great Lessons since we have limited after-school hours and we want to make time for decompression and open-ended free play after M's long day in school.

I'll update our progress with the Great Lessons as we go along!

Resources (bilingual):

World:

Books That Ties in with Great Lessons:

Books on Timelines/Evolution:

Resources for my preschooler:

Geometry Shelf

Our shelf currently holds:

Books:

Manipulatives:

Resources for my preschooler:

Math Shelf

Mathematics is deeply sensorial in Montessori, and our math shelf supports foundational concepts through hands-on exploration.

Books:

Learning About Time:

Resources (preschool-level):

Language Shelf

Language learning is tailored to each child’s developmental stage, with m focusing on phonemic awareness and early reading, while M focuses on grammar, sentence analysis, and vocabulary expansion.

English Language

English Reader Books (preschool-level):

English Chapter Books:

English Dictionaries:

Chinese Language

Communication:

Chinese Reader Books:

Chinese Dictionaries:

Useful Chinese Resources:

Art Shelf

Books:

Resources:

Practical Life

Beyond academics, our Montessori environment fosters life skills through practical life activities that integrate real-world tasks into daily learning.

  • Sewing kit (for mending small tears in clothes)
  • Yarn and needle (M wanted to crochet a dress for her soft toys)

On one occasion, M was inspired to use yarn threads to make friendship bracelets for her friends.

  • Lego bricks (for open-ended creativity and fine motor skills) + Klutz LEGO Chain Reactions Craft Kit to inspire simple machines and chain reactions learning
  • Printer (taught M how to google blank coloring sheets and send to print)
  • Cricut Joy Xtra (M has learnt to use Design Space to craft personalized sticker sheets)
  • Potted plants (teach responsibility and care for living things)

Other Homeschooling Materials:

Reflections on Our Montessori Journey

It's taken observation to see how my multi-age children use our Montessori space, what catches their eye, barriers they face, to adjust the environment for their unique needs. I thank The Kavanaugh Report and Three Minute Montessori for inspiring me to create the current setup for M and m to learn at their own pace and developmental level while benefiting from peer modeling and mirror neurons.

As we continue this journey, I look forward to refining our shelves and sharing updates on our evolving Montessori home environment.

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Yunnie is a mother of two who moved from Seattle area, USA, to Singapore to foster her children's relationship with grandparents. Her mothering journey is shaped by Montessori. Yunnie embraces low-tox living, and continually seeks to manage her children's eczema and skin sensitivities that developed due to climate adjustments. Through her writing, she shares authentic moments of her mothering journey, hoping to inspire and grow alongside a like-minded community.

Happy reading!

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