“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.”
-Maria Montessori
A blend of individual and group work
Each day, the children eagerly enter the classroom ready to get back to work. Sometimes a child may decide to go back to work that he or she had out from the day before. Other times, he or she may want to start something new.
Once all children have arrived they participate in circle activities where they check the calendar and the weather, say the Pledge of Allegiance and often read a story. After circle activities, the lesson of the day is presented by one of the teachers and the children have time to practice the lesson.
The morning is fluid and blends presentation of materials with individualized work and small group activities. Children enjoy daily integration of the arts and music and spend time each day outside and on the playground.
Hands on curriculum
Mathematical concepts are introduced with concrete manipulatives including the sandpaper numbers, golden beads, spindle rods and math games. These materials make the transition from concrete to abstract thinking a smoother process. Children learn numeracy through one on one correspondence, place value, parts and wholes.
Science concepts begin with the most basic concept of living and non-living, and these activities and concepts pave the way for learning about mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Science lessons occur spontaneously when the children are outdoors searching for worms, picking up colorful fall leaves, or watching snow melt. Hands-on lessons in science keep the children active and engaged in their learning.
Practical Life Skills
The practical life area offers exercises that encourage independence with daily living. Each of the tasks helps the children perfect their coordination and concentration so that they will be able to later work with the more intricate academic materials. Some of the practical life exercises include the dressing boards where children practice tying, zipping and buttoning. Pouring, sweeping and beading also necessary daily living skills are practiced in practical life. On a daily basis, children help prepare their own snacks, whether it be buttering bagels or peeling fruit. Children take pride in keeping their classroom clean and attractive.
Work is always fun
Sensorial exercises are designed to isolate and sharpen each of the five senses and heighten the child’s sense of spatial relationships. The materials have a built in control of error enabling the children to correct their own mistakes. Some of the sensorial activities include the Tower of Cubes, trinomial cubes, binomial cubes, geometric solids, and sound boxes.
Geography and culture
In geography, children learn continents, oceans, and land masses through work with globes, flags, puzzles and projects. Children learn the wildlife of the continents and how these animals adapt to their geographical habitats. They bring this learning to life as they place animal models on the maps where the animals live.
Children share literature, activities and songs about other children around the world. They participate in multicultural activities that celebrate world cultures such as a parade during the Chinese New Year and coloring mandalas
Practice listening skills
Montessori classrooms are filled with language building activities. Children are exposed to many kinds of literature as well as other language materials to help them grow into readers and writers. Children share literature through picture books, easy readers, and classroom magazines.
They practice listening skills with teacher read alouds. They enjoy spending quiet time with books in the classroom library. Each week they are introduced to the “Sound of the Week.” This letter is used in the Mystery Sound Bag, journal practice, and sound boxes. The children also use materials such as the moveable alphabet as they become stronger in their phonetic awareness.
Take a Peek inside our Preschool and Toddler Classrooms
