Curriculum

The Montessori classroom is a children's house. Children choose their activities from materials displayed on open shelves.  The classroom materials are divided into five specific content areas.  Through repeated work with materials that capture the child's attention, they develop the capacity for concentration, order, coordination, and independence.  A self-disciplined, orderly, and focused community gradually develops.

In the Montessori preschool, five distinct areas constitute the prepared environment:

• The Practical Life area consists of activities for care of the self, care of the environment, exercises of grace and courtesy, and coordination of physical movement.  Children learn to organize tasks and develop a mental order.
• The Sensorial area offers children experiences for ordering, classifying, and describing their sensory impressions of size, form, temperature, texture, color, etc.
• The Mathematics area makes use of manipulative materials to enable children to internalize concepts of number, symbol, sequence, operations and memorization of basic facts.
• The Language area includes oral language development, written expression, reading, and the study of grammar, creative dramatics and children's literature.  Basic skills in writing and reading are developed through the use of sandpaper letters, a movable alphabet, and various presentations in which children easily learn to link sounds and letters to express their thoughts through writing.
• The Cultural area exposes the child to basics in geography, history and science. Music, art and movement education are also a part of the integrated cultural area.

The Montessori Primary (Pre+K) lays the foundation for the child's future success in school by fostering the following work habits:

• Positive attitude toward school
• Inner security and sense of order
• Pride in the physical environment
• Abiding curiosity
• Habits of concentration, initiative and persistence
• Ability to make decisions
• A sense of independence, self-confidence, and self-discipline
• A sense of responsibility to other members of the class, school and community.

* Implementing Montessori in the Public Sector, Ana Maria Villegas
Taken from Montessori Public School Consortium

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