Literature Review
Citation
Chawla. L (2014) The Natural World As the Prepared Environment. The NAMTA Journal. Vol. 39, No. 1 pg. 41-49
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1183175.pdf
Summary
The article explores the work of Louise Chawla and her educational and research journey as she worked towards her doctorate in environmental psychology and how her findings relate to Montessori theory and practice. Chawla is Montessori trained and she is passionate about children and nature.
Key Points
- Many people have the perception that the Montessori philosophy is “static” but in reality it is a dynamic teaching environment that is based on a teacher’s observations (sight and hearing) and responds to the needs of children based on these observations.
- Children’s memories in nature as profound childhood experiences. These experiences and memories align with Montessori’s principles that deep learning occurs spontaneously as a child interacts with their environment and it is the “greatest service” of the teacher to provide these opportunities.
- Montessori’s places emphasis on the importance of drawing attention, indicating, naming, distinguishing, and to allow the child to revisit activities over time and come to their own conclusions.
- There is no prepared environment without the teacher. One can conclude that children need a model to provide access and appreciation for nature. A teacher should be prepared to “direct attention, name and distinguish”
- Montessori believed that children have compassion and a sense of wonder and in the “children’s house” we can let children ‘feel at one with’ places in nature and the world around them to understand the importance and value of the spaces and places that surround them.
Reflections
This article sparked my interest and gave me a chance to relive my fondest childhood memories playing outside, camping and making mud pies with my sister. Often I hear the whispers of my own children and my students talking about their adventures outdoors, all of which inspire me to create a prepared environment outdoors as an extension of the Montessori classroom.
This article has also shown me the importance and beauty of deep dive research. It’s taken me 3 months to find an article that weaves the ideas of Montessori and outdoor learning together. Maria Montessori focused on aspects of outdoor experiences, however most of the research I have discovered noted is reflective of the Children’s House (3-5 years)and Erdkinder (adolescent). What is missing is outdoor learning for Lower Elementary 6-12 years. This is where my research fits in!
I will leave you with a quote that resonated with me capturing the true essence of the Botany curriculum. There are endless possibilities for outdoor learning, active exploration, identifying and classifying beyond things beyond the walls of the prepared classroom.
“What these family members gave them was simply the example of noticing the natural world as something worth noticing. As one woman reminisced, when she was growing up in Norway in the 1950s, everyone was out hiking, picking berries and fishing. ‘But my mother knew the names of the plants more than other mothers did. So we talked more deeply about things. We didn’t only fetch berries and fish, but talked about it.’” (Chawla, 2014)
It fills my heart with such happiness and smiles thinking of myself hiking with my family or walking with my students identifying plants, mosses and fungi with our nature pamphlets that are always readily available in our backpack.
“No longer content to remain inside their homes and school, or to limit their experience to what they feel inside themselves. They have become aware of the world outside.” ~Duffy et al., 2014)
