I think it's usually frowned upon to use manipulatives in any way but the "right" way. Montessori materials are expensive, so the prescribed way is the way it must be done. As this "right way" is usually/supposed to be challenging to the child, it's usually not an issue. The kids naturally tend to focus on that goal because the challenge grabs them, you know? But from what I've seen, there's not much room for imaginative play in Montessori.
Well my DS just started a Montessori school this morning. I am hopeful that there is some room for creativity. When we went to visit he took the number rods and started lining them up. He started to put the numbers next to the rods as was suggested, but then he decided to spread out the numbers and move the 10 rod toward the number 10. He then verbalized that the mission was for the 10 rod to hit the 10 and that it only had 3 chances and that it was going towards the 2. It apparently did hit the 10 on the third time, so all was well. He wasn't loud or overly active with this so maybe it was okay. Anyhow, the teacher just watched and didn't say anything. She smiled and seemed interested in how he would play. Of course I was on a visit and she may have been a little less directive because I was on a visit. They do say that kids want to explore everything first and that they encourage that, but when he wanted to play with a few things they encouraged him to get instructions first. But they did let him play with them without instructions. I am not sure if they would come over and tell him that he wasn't playing with them right or not. He is not the most super creative kid in the world, but he typically figures and things and does things in an atypical way. She had told him to only carry one rod at a time to the rug so that he could see them getting bigger and he told her that he could already tell that they were getting bigger even if he carried more than one. But then complied with carrying only one at a time. That was the only thing that bothered me a little bit during my visit. Because really it is more efficient to carry a couple at a time. it gives you more time to do other things. : )
