From the absorbent mind to the prepared environment: keys to applying Montessori in the real classroom

To speak of the Montessori method is to speak of one of the most influential pedagogies in the history of education. However, beyond specific materials or recognizable aesthetics, Montessori is, above all, a way of looking at the child and at learning .

In this week’s Aplicaset segment, Raquel Tarrés takes us into the fundamentals of this approach to understand what lies behind its proposal and how we can bring some of this perspective into our daily practice.

The origin: when changing your perspective changes everything

Maria Montessori did not begin her journey in education, but in science. She was an engineer, a biologist, and ultimately, the first female doctor in Italy .

Her experience working with children with mental illness was a turning point. She observed that, with the right environment and the necessary support, these children could learn much more than was expected of them.

This discovery was key: the problem was not in the children, but in how we were educating them .

From there, Montessori began an investigation that led her to found the first Casa dei Bambini in 1906, where she began to develop her method.

A key idea: the child as the protagonist

The Montessori method is based on a fundamental premise: the child is not an empty vessel, but an active, curious being with an enormous capacity for learning .

This implies a profound change in the role of the adult and in the organization of the classroom.

It’s not about teaching more, but about creating the conditions for learning to happen .

The Absorbent Mind: Learning Without Conscious Effort

One of the best-known concepts of the Montessori method is that of the absorbent mind .

During the first years of life, children have the ability to learn naturally, almost unconsciously, simply through interaction with their environment.

They don’t need constant explanations.
They need to live, observe, experience .

This concept invites us to reflect on something key:
👉 What kind of environment are we offering for that learning to happen?

Sensitive periods: when learning finds its moment

Another pillar of the method is sensitive periods .

These are stages in which the child shows a special predisposition to learn certain skills, such as:

• language
• the movement
• the order
• socialization

When we identify these moments and support them appropriately, learning happens much more smoothly.

When we don’t do it, it can become more expensive.

Herein lies one of the teacher’s greatest skills: observing in order to be able to accompany .

The prepared environment: the classroom also educates

In Montessori, space is not neutral.
The classroom is a pedagogical tool in itself.

A prepared environment is:

• tidy
• accessible
• adapted to the child’s size
• aesthetically pleasing
• designed to promote autonomy

Each element has an intention.

Because when the environment is well designed, the child can act more independently, make decisions, and take responsibility for their own learning.

The role of the adult: less intervention, more observation

In this approach, the adult ceases to be the center of the action.

His role becomes:

• guide
• observer
• companion

This does not mean “doing less”, but intervening better .

It involves trusting the child’s process, respecting their pace, and knowing when to accompany them… and when not to.

Beyond the method: a perspective applicable to any classroom

Even if you don’t work in a Montessori environment, many of its principles can be integrated into any educational context:

• offer more autonomy
• maintain order and structure in the classroom
• observe before intervening
• respect individual rhythms
• to value learning through experience

It is not about replicating a model, but about integrating a more conscious pedagogical perspective .

A real-world practice, in a real-world context

This proposal has been applied in Solsona (Lleida, Spain) , which reinforces something key in Aplicaset: we do not talk about ideal theories, but about real practices that work in real contexts.

🎥 Discover the full Montessori capsule

In this first installment on the Montessori method, Raquel Tarrés introduces you clearly and accessibly to its fundamentals, laying the groundwork for further exploration in future installments.

👉 Access the full pill now on Aplicaset

You will discover how to bring this perspective to your classroom without having to transform everything, but rather by starting to look at things differently.

Aplicaset: training that connects with reality

Aplicaset is a platform with more than 50 voices from the educational field , where you will find practical, brief resources designed to be applied from day one.

Because education isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes it’s about returning to the essentials .