Montessori
MONTESSORI
THE MONTESSORI CURRICULUM
In the Montessori classroom, the space is divided into several logical areas by low open shelves: one for practical Life exercises, one for Sensorial, one for Language, another for Math and other areas for art, music, geography and science.
Each material isolates one concept or skill that has been specially designed in a way that children are naturally drawn to want to work with it with little or no nudging from adults. Montessori students learn not to be afraid of making mistakes. They quickly find that few things in life come easily, and they can try again without fear of embarrassment.
There is complete freedom of access to a wide range of attractive materials and the apparatus is specially designed both to stimulate the child and to teach specific skills and educational concepts. In this environment children can work both singly and in groups, so developing independence and self confidence as well as social skills and respect for others. The Montessori curriculum is very broad and includes
Practical Life
The very first activities children take part in a Montessori classroom develop their ability to look after themselves and their surroundings. They can practice dressing skills on specially made frames that allow them to try zips, buttons, bows, and buckles.
They use little jugs filled with beans or rice and then water to practice pouring. They spoon, scoop, or use droppers, tweezers and even chopsticks to transfer from one bowl to another. Other activities use scaled down versions of real equipment, brushes and broom, wash up bowls and polishing kits.
There are also varied opportunities for pairing socks, folding and sorting clothes, setting tables, plaiting and sewing. The basic components of this curriculum are:
- Care of the person (Dressing Frames, Personal Care)
- Care of the environment (Polishing, Table Washing )
- Control of movement (Pouring, Sweeping)
- Social Relations ( Table manners, May I)
- Food Preparation (Spreading, Cutting, Mixing)
- Ground Rules ( Rolling a rug, Putting work away, Quiet voices)
Cultural Subjects
Children begin with globes and then study maps using jigsaws. They can trace and colour the shapes of each continent as well as placing them in the right place in the puzzle. They go on to name and put the shapes onto blank maps of the world and to recognise flags.
There will be areas of the cultural curriculum where children use classification cards for naming, matching or identifying anything and everything from leaf shapes to different kinds of stone to the different stages of a tadpole's metamorphosis into frog.
Children learn about people and cultures in other countries with an attitude of respect and admiration. Through familiarity, children come to feel connected to the global human family. Lessons and experiences with nature inspire respect for all life.
Maths
Children gain a physical impression of size and quantity long before they begin to manipulate numbers by handling number rods, counting out beads, counting spindles into boxes and arranging coloured counters in patterns - odd and even numbers.
Numbers are built up using glass or wooden beads and their sandpaper symbols traced with the fingers. The sequence for presentation and learning is:
- Numeration counting and recognition of numbers 1-10
Language
Writing often comes before reading in a Montessori classroom, with children building up their first words phonetically using cardboard letters. The reading programme progresses through three levels pink, blue and green; reading materials are colour-coded for each level.
Inside a small pink box a child finds a tiny toy dog. She takes it out, says the word, listens to the sounds in it and then seeks out the letters, which make those sounds to build the Word.
Writing skills are learned by colouring intricate shapes drawn with insets, and sandpaper letters are experienced by touch as well as by sight and sound. A wide range of story and reference picture books will be always available in the nursery.
The Language presentations are:
- Auditory preparation - conversation with children through story telling (sequencing) poetry (rhymes and finger plays) auditory discrimination listening skills identifying sounds
- Visual preparation - recognizing patterns matching and sorting
- Motor preparation - eye to hand co-ordination, and handwriting
Art and Music
Painting and drawing will be freely available and the children will be in touch with the substance of their world, encouraging work with clay, gardening and growing activities and even building little houses. Sand pit will also be freely available.
There will be cooking session with each individual child daily on a rota basis. Occasional group cooking activity will also be available. Music sessions will include performing, dancing, singing and experimenting often with also social skills as they take turns on equipment and play hide and seek or musical chairs.
Social Skills
Children aren't born with an innate knowledge of why we shake hands, or kiss, or rub noses depending on our culture and in the Montessori classroom they will learn appropriate greetings.
As they become aware of other cultures they are encouraged to celebrate differences and value them equally.
During circle time children will be shown how to move quietly and carefully around the classroom, push in chairs, wait patiently before politely gaining someone's attention and are reminded how important it is to allow others to work undisturbed.
These ground rules in the classroom give every child total security.
Children also learn to notice if somebody needs help and that nobody is too small to be useful.