The Material Cabinet: Open Back (93 cm) is a Furniture & Storage Montessori material designed for children aged 3-6, crafted by Nienhuis Montessori to AMI standards.
This elegant Material Cabinet with Open Back (93 cm) provides essential storage for Montessori classroom materials while maintaining accessibility and visibility. The four spacious shelves accommodate various learning materials at child-appropriate heights, while the raised edge on top prevents items from sliding off. Its open-back design allows natural light to flow through the classroom environment.
“The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”— Maria MontessoriEducation and Peace
“The hands are the instruments of man's intelligence.”
— Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind
The Material Cabinet with Open Back (93 cm) embodies the Montessori principle of creating an ordered environment where every item has its designated place. This four-shelf cabinet positions learning materials at heights accessible to children aged 3-6, enabling independent selection and return of work. The open-back design serves a dual purpose: allowing natural light to permeate the classroom while helping children see available materials from multiple angles. The cabinet's 93 cm height places the top shelf within reach of six-year-olds while keeping lower shelves accessible to younger children. The raised edge on top transforms this cabinet into a secondary display surface, preventing materials from falling while creating an additional presentation area. By organizing materials on these visible shelves, children develop visual discrimination skills as they scan, select, and replace items in their proper locations. This open storage system cultivates the child's sense of order, supporting their natural tendency to classify and organize their environment during the sensitive period for order that peaks between ages two and four.
Each order includes everything needed for proper presentation and long-term use.
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Organize materials by subject area on each shelf, using trays or baskets to contain small items
Label each shelf or section with visual markers that young children can recognize
Demonstrate to children how to remove materials carefully from the shelf
Show children how to return materials to their exact location
Each material supports multiple areas of child development simultaneously.
Teaches children the importance of order and careful handling of materials through accessible, organized storage.
Child-height shelving allows independent selection and return of materials without adult assistance.
Open shelving design helps children visually locate and identify different learning materials.
Encourages responsibility for maintaining an orderly classroom through proper material storage.
Designed for child-sized hands
Professional tips from AMI-trained guides to maximize the educational value of this material.
“Place heavier materials on lower shelves and lighter items higher up for safety”
Use the top surface with raised edge for displaying cultural objects or plants
Position frequently-used materials at children's natural eye level (middle shelves)
Keep one section of a shelf empty to allow for new materials or children's work
Everything you need to know about this material.
The Material Cabinet stands 93 cm tall and features four spacious shelves at child-appropriate heights. The open-back design and specific shelf spacing are optimized for children ages 3-6 to independently access materials.
The open-back design serves multiple Montessori purposes: it allows natural light to flow through the classroom, maintains visual openness in the environment, enables supervision from multiple angles, and prevents the accumulation of dust or lost materials behind the unit.
This versatile cabinet accommodates various Montessori materials including practical life trays, sensorial materials, language cards, mathematics manipulatives, and cultural materials. The raised edge on top provides secure storage for items like plants or display materials.
The cabinet promotes independence by providing accessible storage at child height, encourages order through organized material display, supports free choice by making all materials visible, and creates a prepared environment that invites purposeful activity.
Safety features include the raised edge on top to prevent items from falling, stable construction suitable for classroom use, smooth finished edges, and child-appropriate shelf heights that minimize reaching or climbing. The open design also allows for easy supervision.
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