The child who has felt a strong love for his surroundings and for all living creatures, who has discovered joy and enthusiasm in work, gives us reason to hope that humanity can develop in a new direction. ~Maria Montessori
Montessori Children's House adheres to the traditional Montessori Preprimary Curriculum based on the guidelines of the American Montessori Society. Students learn by progressing at an individual rate while being encouraged to increase self-motivation. Children move themselves toward learning by using developmentally appropriate materials. The teacher prepares the environment, functions as the authority, and offers varying stimuli depending upon the needs of each particular child. The collaborative environment of the Montessori classroom provides order and encourages the child to develop according to his/her own capabilities and pace. The child thus learns and is motivated through his work. The following seven basic curriculum areas provide this instructional framework.
Practical Life
The Practical Life Area provides the child with the opportunity to explore activities which develop a sense of order, concentration, coordination and independence. Among these developmental activities are pouring, sorting, washing, polishing, personal care and food preparation. It is within this curriculum area that the foundation is laid for a successful transition into working with more advanced materials in the classroom.
Sensorial
The Sensorial Area acquaints the child with pre-math materials and concepts. The child manipulates equipment which sharpens the senses and encourages understanding of the many sensory impressions received through them. Sensorial materials isolate particular defining qualities such as weight, shape, texture, sound, etc. This area of the curriculum helps the child to distinguish, categorize and relate new information to what already has be comprehended.
Mathematics
The Math Area offers the use of concrete materials which allow for easier assimilation of the many facts and skills utilized in this area of study. The child is introduced to simple numeration, linear counting, the concept of teens, fractions, the decimal system, squaring and cubing. Later, by combining, counting, and working with the math materials, the child is exposed to the basic mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Through their repeated use, discovery unfolds and the child is aided in formulating mathematical impressions.
Language
The Language Area provides a multi-sensory approach to learning the complex process of reading and writing. Much attention is given to the development of pre-writing an pre-reading skills. Emphasis is placed on development of the hand to prepare for writing as well as the visual and auditory discrimination basic to the reading process. Within this curriculum area, the phonetic sound of the letters is emphasized through a sensorial system basic to accomplishing the task of reading. Pre-reading and reading are encouraged through the Take-A-Book-Home Program. Creative writing is also introduced through story dictation.
Geography & Cultural Studies
The Geography & Cultural Studies Area of the classroom introduce the child to the surrounding world. The continents and oceans of the world are explored. Foreign cultures are experienced through a variety of materials, music, and literature.
Science
Basic scientific principles and simple scientific concepts are presented on a developmentally appropriate level. Zoology, Botany, Biology, geology, and astronomy are examples of topics introduced.
Art
The Art Area of the classroom encourages creativity and the development of fine muscle coordination through cutting, punching, gluing, painting, etc. It also offers the child an opportunity to explore a variety of creative media.
In addition areas of the Montessori curriculum, Montessori Children's House also includes Foreign Language, Art, and Music Enrichment Programs for all children. The Foreign Language Program provides a basic introduction to another language and culture through weekly small group lessons and daily classroom activities. The Art Program compliments the traditional Montessori Art Area of the classroom by providing projects using a variety of media in a creative way. Seasons, holidays, cooking activities and projects are designed to supplement areas of study in geography and science.