Montessori environments have always striven to achieve an integrated or seamless education for children through a vertical age grouping, experiential-based (rather than age-based) progression in all areas of learning, and through uninterrupted 'work cycles', whereby the children's needs and interests dictate the timetable.
Carefully graded materials support individual progression across the curriculum. Continual observation by sensitive practitioners, who are trained to recognise the needs of all within the mixed-age setting, enables the type of responsive planning advocated by the Foundation Stage guidelines.
Freedom of choice from a wide range of carefully prepared resources and activities has always been fundamental to a Montessori environment. This freedom of choice is set within the clearly defined boundaries of the social unit, which provides a secure framework for each child's overall development.
Montessori maintained that snack time, outdoor play and group activities should be subject to the same 'free choice' principle as any other activity, allowing children to develop independence and social skills at their own pace.
While many nurseries are setting up units to meet the 'new' demands of the Foundation Stage, some well-established Montessori nurseries may well serve as useful models for their efforts.
Maggie Tait
Pocklington, Yorkshire
