Montessori “Curriculum”
Practical Life Activities: Children are offered real life experiences to care for themselves in pouring their drinks, developing healthy eating habits, dressing and undressing themselves, etc. They take care of their environment by maintaining the beauty of their class, watering plants, dusting, etc. The children also learn the healthy habit of taking turns, waiting for the “work” that they want, taking constructive criticism and approval in a positive way, and listening to another person’s feelings and needs.
Sensorial Activities: This area of learning is scientifically designed to develop, refine, classify and grade the stimulation that children receive through their senses. These activities have five areas:
Visual……………………… color tablets, geometric shapes, etc.
Hearing …………………… sound cylinders, bells, etc.
Tasting ……………………. tasting tray, etc.
Smelling ………………….. smelling bottles, etc.
Tactile ……………………. mystery bag, fabrics, etc.
Mathematics: All of the math activities are designed to develop the child’s mathematical mind. Learning begins with the child’s use of concrete materials such as numerical rods, sandpaper numerals, counting objects, fraction puzzles and many hands-on math games for number relationship, sorting, matching, the four mathematical “operations,” and place value.
Language: These activities are organized in a sequential manner to follow the natural language development of the child. Throughout the day books are read together, stories told, songs are sung, and children learn to listen to others speak at circle time. The sounds of the alphabet are presented through the phonetic method in a natural way. Parents soon notice that their child is forming letters and words and beginning to sound out short words. Vocabulary development is emphasized in all areas by using specific words for objects in the classroom. At approximately 4 ½ years, the children begin to put phonetic sounds together to read short words, and by five years of age they amaze their parents with their love of writing and reading.
Science: Through our hands-on materials the children learn to match and sort objects and pictures of living/non-living and plant/animal. They love to make booklets of the “parts” of animals, i.e. head, tail, back, etc. from the insect to the mammal. Exploration of their world through dissection of a flower, apple, or orange brings excitement into the classroom! Our hands-on science materials are the joy of the children.
Geography: The children are introduced to the earth’s globe, the world “they live on,” and learn about land and water forms through modeling them in clay and making them in paper They use the world and U.S. maps as puzzles, soon tracing and coloring their own maps. Children love to sing the “continent song” to their parents!
History: This subject is introduced through the concept of time measurement with timing devices for 1 minute, 2 minutes, to 1 hour. The children make their own personal time line of their life with pictures, as well as the calendar of the month.
Art: Our children gain the skills to express themselves with crayons, watercolors, tempera paint, clay modeling, collage gluing and many other kinds of materials. Our teachers are experienced in “feeding back” the feelings of excitement in their work so that the children do not become dependent upon praise.
Music: Music is a natural part of the daily classroom routine in the form of rhythm, instruments, dancing, singing, and finger plays.
Physical Education: Since young children are meant to “move” and to practice bodily control with their very active minds, they soon learn to control their large and small muscles. Children carry tables and chairs and gain the confidence that they “can do it!” We go outside every class session for at least thirty minutes unless the weather precludes it: Pouring: We do not go outside. Sprinkling: We do go outside with our waterproof hooded jacket and boots!
Special Activities: On different days, a portion of afternoon work time may include a special class in music, art, theater or Korean language and culture.