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Curriculum 

Children enter the world possessing amazing powers, gifted by nature. With the adult’s help in preparing an environment conducive to the child’s development, the child can carry out the important task of constructing his personality. Our classroom is an attractive and lively environment for the young child. In it you will find low shelves, at the child’s level, containing inviting, colorful, scientifically prepared and culturally rich manipulative materials which assist the child in the acquisition of language, math concepts, geography, science, and a great variety of subjects offered within the classroom environment. The open nature of the classroom environment, as well as the

mixed age group class, encourages children to work together, as well as independently. In the Montessori environment, children are not only learning academic and reasoning skills, but also are completing activities that facilitate successful social and life skills.

Sensorial 
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Children experience the world through their senses, and the child between ages

3 and 6 is in a unique place developmentally, to fine tune and understand the

senses. The child at this age is likened to a sponge, absorbing the information

taken in through the various senses. The presentation of the sensorial materials

is vital to understanding the language that is used to describe the physical

qualities that we experience in the world we live in. Scientifically designed

materials isolate the various visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, olfactory,

thermic, baric, and stereognostic qualities are matched, contrasted, and

compared in order to lay the foundation for future knowledge and give an

awareness of the world.

Practical Life

 

Through Practical Life activities, the children acquire many of the skills essential

for the rest of the Montessori curriculum. Skills such as coordination, fine and

gross motor skills, concentration, and independence are formed and

strengthened by the child’s work in these practical skills. The Practical Life

portion of the curriculum teaches the child how to learn and the movements and

skills they acquire will create an explosion of learning in the future. In addition,

the students gain self-confidence and feel a sense of responsibility and

community in the classroom.

Mathematics

 

The human mind is very mathematical by nature, the Montessori math materials

provide the child with experiences which isolate strong and exact impressions of

the physical world and allow the child’s mind to develop in such a way as to

integrate math principles as a part of everyday life. A variety of materials are

presented to introduce quantities and numeric symbols. The concept of

numbers is presented in a concrete form and, as the child advances, the lessons

become more abstract. Number 1 -10 are presented first, and then are followed

by a progression of lessons introducing the decimal system. After a solid grasp

of quantities throughout the decimal system is attained, math operations, such

as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division can be introduced. Further

extensions of the math curriculum may include work with money, time, and

fractions.

Language

 

Humans have a unique gift among the animal kingdom, the gift of complex and

specific language skills. The development of a child’s language skills is

completely dependent upon the environment in which the development takes

place. The Montessori classroom provides a language rich environment for the

developmental needs and abilities of the young child, where every item, lesson,

and component has a name and description. The wide variety of language

materials provide the child with preliminary knowledge and vocabulary and then

later allow the child to use their ideas and interests to explore language

phonetically. Many words are sounded out and built with the use of the

moveable alphabet, as children explore the combinations of sounds and the

changes that can be found within various letter combinations. The focus in the

early stages of language development is on writing and composition of words

and thoughts. The children are also introduced to words which do not fit the

phonetic rules and sounds. Here is where the memory portion of reading comes

into place with words commonly known as “sight words”. It is through phonetic

awareness and memory of words that the child develops their reading ability,

and through practice in the supportive, language rich environment that the child

can engage in “total reading”. Total Reading refers to reading and understanding

the content, essence, and feelings in what is read, which leads to a fuller

appreciation of language and a joy for reading.

 

“At first sight, one would think that language is something given to us by nature,

but we are forced to conclude that it is something over and above nature. It is a

creation superimposed on nature, an intelligent product of the mass mind. It

[language] spreads in all directions, like an unlimited network by which

everything can be expressed.” - Maria Montessori

Geography and Cultural Studies​

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Geography and exploration of cultural stories are subjects very popular in the

Montessori classroom. The children enjoy building their language skills by

learning the names of continents, countries, states, bodies of water, and

geographical terms. Every new piece of vocabulary creates an understanding

and appreciation for our wonderful world. The children further explore

geography with physical materials, learning more about land and water forms

and cultural items from all over the world.

 

Our diverse community of families also brings a unique cultural element to the

classroom. Parents may volunteer to present a group lesson to the class about a

cultural event or holiday, celebrated by their family. We celebrate and explore

the many cultures represented by our students and families. Throughout the

year, we learn cultural dances and songs and at least once per year we share

these songs and dances in a program for the school community.

Science

 

In a Montessori environment, we explore the physical world through

observation, research, and experimentation. The young child is a born scientist.

He or she makes careful observations, attempts various methods, and adjusts his

or her understanding to fit the results found. In the classroom, we use the

child’s interests in subject areas such as zoology, botany, geology, or entomology

to introduce materials that will build on the child’s interest to expand vocabulary

and understanding of the subject. For example, a child’s interest in botany leads

to an introduction to the plant kingdom, plant life cycles, nomenclature

regarding trees, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds, and exploration with plant life

in the school garden.

Music and Art

 

Music in the Montessori classroom is experienced through singing, movement,

games, and instruments. Introduction to the scale of notes comes early in the

child’s experience and allows the child to understand music as a means of

expression, much like language. Our talented Music teacher provides weekly

lessons focusing on foundational music knowledge and practice, as well as

integrating cultural and historical events into her lessons. Songs and music are

an important piece to young child’s education.

 

Art is introduced to the children as a means of self-expression. The children are

able to choose from a variety of artistic mediums, such as drawing, printmaking,

weaving, sculpture, and painting as suited to their skill level. Artwork may be

done individually or in a group and allows the child a chance to explore

expression in a variety of ways. A child’s interest in art is also supported by an

assortment of art history materials, exploring famous artists, artistic periods, or

subject matter.

 

“The astonishing colored drawings of animals in motion painted on the walls of

caves by primitive men show us that an artistic genius for drawing has existed

from mans’ very beginning.” – Maria Montessori

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