Montessori Map Making

Another map?  Did you spend your entire day making a map yet again?  Why is my child making maps at school?  How many maps will he/she bring home?  Where are the language and math works that I saw in the tour, all my child does is make maps all day, every day…  

Have you, as a Montessori parent thought any of these things?

The beautifully painted wooden maps of the world and continents are very attractive and draw the child to them, as is the intent of all of the Montessori materials.  The direct aims of Montessori materials are to instill cooperation, coordination, concentration, independence and order within the child in their world—through these five aims evolves retention of knowledge, respect for others and the world around them, confidence to try new things, a sense of independence and self-assuredness, and the ability to succeed. 

The Montessori cultural materials include learning about the earth, first with the Sandpaper Globe—this is land, this is water.  Following lessons on land, air, and water, children are introduced to the Globe of the Continents—often learning the names of the seven continents through song.  Perhaps you have heard the little jingle that we sing at The Montessori Academy,

North America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia

Don’t forget Antarctica, don’t forget Australia. 

North America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. 

Often, the puzzle map and song are all that a first year (3 year old) Montessori student may work on, as he/she will be busy working with the Practical Life, Sensorial, and beginning Language materials most of the time. 

Throughout the 3 years in a Montessori Early Childhood Classroom, children are exposed to cultural units of study on each of the continents.  The continent is introduced, there may be cultural objects for the children to explore, maps are presented, and food tasting and art projects are available within the classroom.  
Typically in the third year, children are yearning for more extended challenging works that take time to complete and pose as a challenge for them in terms of concentration, independence, and order.  Prior to ‘making a map’ children are introduced to the names of the countries that make up a continent. 

Making a map to take home involves a lot of work!  Matching map pieces to the correct color of paper is primary.  Then the child (sometimes with the aide of an adult) traces the puzzle piece onto the paper.  The next step is pin-pricking the outline of the country/state with a sharp stylus or jumbo tack in order to make a perforated outline, to then be gently separated from the paper. The holes must be close together for this to work without tearing the paper—this takes great concentration, eye-hand coordination and focus holding the tool in a pincer grasp.  This is not a simple quick work to pass the time.  Map Making takes commitment and planning—this work takes lots of concentration and follow-thru to complete.  Finally, after all of the pieces have been recreated, the child must lay them out to reconstruct the puzzle and glue them onto a poster.  The crème de la crème is to label the map and know the names of the countries—can your child do that?  Have they labeled the countries with little cut-outs of names or written them in themselves.  Can they go over the map and tell you names of the countries? 

The map making child is a great planner, can work on a large project to completion, is coordinated enough to pin-prick those tiny holes, and perforate the paper—they have fine motor control,  their spatial awareness is developed, they are orderly in their work.  Your little map maker has been working on memorizing, handwriting, and general knowledge all while creating a beautiful work of art.  This child is destined to work on that project, to finish the long math problem, write that twelve page research paper, speak confidently in front of others and go places in our world.

Next time your child proudly carries out a poster board map at dismissal—take time to revel in the fact that your child has worked hard at school, your child is set up for great things, your child is proud of his/her work, your child is a Montessori Child!

Submitted by: Julie Gabrielse