|
Practical
Life
At the beginning practical life forms the core of the
child's work. This area aids the child's development in:
care of the
person care of the environment, control of movement and
social relations. This area is the foundation for
subsequent academic learning because it provides:
-
A sense of order; a task's
beginning, middle and end.
-
A sense of independence - "I can do
it by myself."
-
A sense of coordination - the child
brings his/her muscles under his/her own control.
-
Most important of all, an ability to
concentrate, because learning can only occur when
concentration is present
Tasks are broken down into simple steps so that the
children learn to button, tie, zip, buckle, pour, wash
tables and chairs, polish silver, brass and wood, wash
and hang clothes, sweep the floor, prepare and serve
food for themselves and others, all with grace and
courtesy. As soon as the child has the basis for
integrity given by the exercises of practical life,
she/he moves on to the sensorial.
Sensorial Life
Between birth and six years, the child
has a special sensitivity to sensorial impressions.
Therefore, Dr. Montessori designed sensorial materials
to help the child develop his/her senses and powers of
observation. This development of children's physical
senses enhances their readiness for greater intellectual
work. The child works with Montessori sensorial
materials
designed to develop and train his/her sense of:
-
Taste: sweet, sour, salty, bitter,
etc.
-
Hearing: pitch, tone, loud and soft,
etc.
-
Sight: many series of blocks for
long and short, broad and narrow, small and large,
and puzzles with geometric shapes.
-
Touch: smooth and rough, hot and
cold, heavy and light, etc.
-
Smell: spices, herbs, flower scents,
etc
There are also activities for the
development of the sense of balance, and concepts such
as shortest to longest, smallest to biggest, smooth to
rough, and color tints.
Through the use of these materials, children begin to
sharpen their awareness and increase their perception of
the world around them.
Mathematics
Concepts in Montessori math are always
first presented in concrete,
manipulative terms, and only later when the child has
understood the meaning and use of symbols by using
Montessori materials are more abstract forms introduced.
The materials are designed to help child understand
basic mathematical concepts, beginning with 1-10
(sandpaper numbers), associating quantity and numerals
(spindle boxes) and extending to the concepts of the
decimal system and place value, (ten-, teen- and
hundred-board). As the child progresses, materials such
as the bead stair are used for working with addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division.
Children in a Montessori class never sit down to
memorize addition and subtraction facts; they don't
simply memorize multiplication tables. Rather, they
learn these facts by actually performing the operation
with physical materials.
Language Arts
Although language is one of the four
basic learning areas in a Montessori class, it spans
every other area. Language
consists of verbal skills, visual perception, and small
muscle coordination. Therefore, language education
begins with listening games, training the hand with the
metal insets and puzzles, and familiarizing the child
with the symbols of the alphabet using the sandpaper
letters. The period for writing generally occurs between
ages 3-1/2 and 4-1/2, and development in this area leads
directly into the period for reading between 4 and 5.
A complete reading system is available to the children.
Through the use of these materials, children gain an
understanding that separate sounds can be blended
together to make words. Even the learning of reading
incorporates movement, from the tracing of the sandpaper
letters to manipulating the letters of the movable
alphabet to form words.
Physical Development
Physical Development - Attention is placed on a
daily emphasis on fine and gross motor skills,
exercises, developing coordination and outdoor
recreation.
Geography /
Social Studies
The children are introduced to the three
basic elements: land, air and water. At first, the
children use large wooden
continent puzzle maps simply as puzzles. Gradually, they
learn the names of the continents, and then move on to
country maps, studying climate, people and products.
Culture units then cover food, dress and music from
different countries, while typical geography units
include world flags, land formations, the globe,
beginning mapping (exploration of the neighborhood) and
even the solar system. Hands-on projects reinforce
geographic concepts, such as actually making island and
peninsula land formations out of clay
Science and Nature
Children learn science and nature through simple
experiments with familiar materials, such as sink/float
and magnetic/non-magnetic as well as hands-on
experiences of gardening, seeds and flowers. The
children will also classify living / non-living, plant /
animal and vertebrate / invertebrate. Classroom science
units cover such topics as minerals, the life cycle of a
butterfly, bones and skeletons, amphibians, reptiles,
mammals and birds. In addition, the calendar, seasons
and telling time will be covered.
|
