Why I Decided to Get My Kid a Montessori Bookshelf
Introduction
I'm sure you've heard of the Montessori approach to learning before. It's a popular form of education that emphasizes independence, hands-on learning and experiences. But did you know that there's also a Montessori-style bookshelf? This can be a great way to give your child an organized and simple place to store his or her books. Here are some reasons why having this type of shelf in your home matters!
Montessori is an approach to learning that values independence, hands-on learning and experiences.
Because Montessori is an approach to learning that values independence, hands-on learning and experiences, it’s not surprising that a Montessori bookshelf is designed as a place for your kid to learn independently. The shelves are arranged so that each book can be easily reached by the child without feeling too high or low for them to reach on their own.
A Montessori bookshelf helps your child develop good habits early on like learning how to organize books neatly!
A Montessori-style bookshelf makes reading fun, exciting and meaningful.
A Montessori-style bookshelf will give your child a place to store their books and make reading more fun, exciting and meaningful. Your child will be able to choose their own books and read them whenever they want. It’s easy to keep the books organized, so you won’t have piles of random books lying around in random places. The shelves provide independence for your child—they can pick up their own book, sit down at their table or desk with a chair that is just the right height for them, open up the book on their own and start reading!
Keep the display simple.
Keeping your bookshelf simple will help your child learn the proper way to organize their own bookshelf when they get older. A good rule of thumb is that you should never have more than two books deep on the shelf (meaning: no stacking).
If there are too many books mixed together on one shelf, it can also be confusing for them and books can be harder to find —especially if there are several big hardcover books mixed in with smaller paperbacks!
The best thing you can do as an adult is to keep things simple and organized so that kids know exactly where everything goes and can see each book individually.
Keep it organized and clean.
Keeping your bookshelf organized and clean is as important to the Montessori philosophy as it is for a library or any other place that holds books. The approach encourages children to appreciate order and tidiness, and being able to easily find what they need when they need it.
You can help your child keep his or her bookcase organized by keeping the books arranged in an orderly manner on the shelves rather than haphazardly tossed together on their backs or sides. The open shelf where kids can see all of their options will make them more likely to select one instead of digging through piles each time they want something new to read.
If your kids are older, to encourage this idea further, try making sure that only one type of book (fiction vs nonfiction) is kept on each shelf so kids can easily find what they want without having multiple categories mixed together on one shelf. If you have multiple copies of certain titles like Dr Seuss’s The Cat In The Hat or Where The Wild Things Are then consider keeping them together in a special section labeled “favorite stories” so kids know where those titles are located whenever someone wants them again!
Conclusion
A Montessori-style bookshelf is a great way to encourage your child’s love of reading. It also helps them develop good habits around books, which will make it easier as they grow up and learn how to take care of their own library. The best part? Your kids will be more likely to read books because the bookshelf itself is visually stimulating!
