A Brief Overview of THE MONTESSORI METHOD      

PRACTICAL LIFE

“The child can only develop by means of experience in his environment.  We call such experience work.  - Dr. Maria Montessori

The traditional work of the family is referred to as practical life work.  This is generally the first area in which a child will work.  The many varied activities include but are not limited to:

                1) care of the environment- cleaning, sweeping, polishing, clothes washing.

                2) care of the person- dressing frames, combing hair, setting the table.

                3) grace and courtesy- carrying things, pushing in a chair when finishing work, offering food.

It is in doing these seemingly mundane tasks that the child learns to use her body and mind for a purpose, to focus and concentrate, to complete sequential steps, to finish what she starts, and to persevere in her work.

SENSORIAL LESSONS

Sensorial lessons are designed to help the child further develop and refine all of the senses- visual, auditory, taste, smell and touch.  Through the use of these lessons the child continues to perfect the skills learned in the lessons of practical life as well as how to think creatively, to solve problems and to be self-disciplined.

MATH

Math and geometry are offered in a way that is enjoyable and interesting to learn.  Children have a natural interest in all aspects of math, weight, order, quantities, time, symbols, etc.  We serve this development by giving sensorial experiences, first using real objects, and, later, their representations on paper.  Math activities begin with counting and numeral recognition.  Children also love to learn the quantities and symbols for numbers in the thousands.  They often learn addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with the decimal system (golden bead material).  Activities to introduce time, weight, measurement and fractions are also available as the child expresses interest.

SCIENCE

Interest in and love of science, including the study of earth, astronomy, ecology, botany, zoology, physics and chemistry can all begin when the child is most interested in new experiences- between 3 and 6 years of age.  Science is experienced in the Montessori classroom through sensorial materials, gardening, observation of nature, experiments, etc.  Some early science lessons include animal sorting and matching, booklets that identify “parts of” animals, plants and trees, care of plants and animals.  More advanced lessons include, but are not limited to shell identification, animal classification, rock and mineral identification, study of prehistoric animals and fossils.

GEOGRAPHY

The globe is probably one of the most important pieces of material in introducing the child to the world in which he lives.  In the Montessori classroom, the first lessons center around cultures- clothing, homes, foods, transportation, traditions and holidays, music, dances and literature.  The child begins to learn how where you live often determines how you live.  As the child learns about cultures around the world, he also learns to find the continent and country on the globe.  More advanced activities include maps and flags of the individual countries.

LANGUAGE

“For success in language a child needs confidence that what she has to say is important, a desire to relate to others, real experience on which language is based, and the physical abilities necessary in reading and writing…We can provide a stimulating environment, rich in sensorial experiences and in language-language is meaningless if it is not based on experience…If we share good literature, in the form of rhymes, songs, poetry and stories we will greatly increase the child’s love of language.                       - Susan Stevenson from Child of the World

 Pre-reading/writing lessons include, but are not limited to the following:

1) Phonemic Awareness- letter/sound recognition, identifying sounds in words, word     construction, reading simple words.

2) Grammar- labeling objects in the classroom (nouns), command cards (verbs), phrase and sentence construction.

3) Writing- tracing sandpaper letters and numbers, metal insets of design, copying letters and numbers, writing letters and numbers independently.

MUSIC

“If you can walk, you can dance.   If you can talk, you can sing.-Zimbabwe Proverb

 Music is a daily part of the classroom activities.  Singing and dancing give the child a way of expressing emotions and is often a physical release.  Singing provides practice in language, new words, poetry, rhythm, and cultural information.  Dance helps the child develop large muscle control and coordination.

ART

We cannot teach a child to be an artist, but we can help him develop - "An eye that sees.  A hand that obeys.   A soul that feels."

 A wide variety of art materials are available to the children at all times, as is a space to work, uninterrupted.  The children are taught how to use and care for these materials.  Occasional “craft” projects are also presented.

TECHNOLOGY  

“Television accustoms the child to be a passive receiver of information rather than an active questioner or researcher.  And the intelligence of computers does not hold a candle to the kind of creativity inborn in the human being.  -Susan Stevenson from Child of the World

We do, however, recognize that technology is a vital part of our daily lives.  Computers with age appropriate games and activities are available for the children to use.  The children are instructed in the proper care and use of these machines.  Age appropriate videos are also offered occasionally.

For more detailed information on the Montessori method go to Montessori Links.