Montessori Education

My daughter attended our local Montessori school for 3 years. I could not recommend this from of education strongly enough. Before she attended I really didn’t think it would be as amazing as it has turned out to be. The children who attend Montessori are extremely well behaved, respectful, and are very conscious of solving conflicts peacefully. They grow to be so independent and really learn so much more than you’d ever expect preschool children to know.

Maria Montessori founded the first "Casa dei Bambini" in 1907. Her goal, and what is still to this day the goal of a Montessori Education, is to encourage independence, love of learning and a positive sense of self . This is obtained through five areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math and Cultural. In the traditional three-year program of 3-6 year olds, the child is exposed to areas that enhance independence through concentration, order, and creativity. The child has the opportunity to develop academically, socially and emotionally to his or her full potential.

Practical Life activities are designed to develop coordination and independence. Through repeated use of materials such as spooning, pouring, twisting, squeezing, fastening, and sewing a child works towards the mastery of skills needed for everyday life that includes the physical skills needed for writing. Materials also develop care of the environment, care of people, grace and courtesy.

The world is color, dimension, shape, form, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Children live in the world of the senses. In order to continue their creative task of development, children need to classify and express the impressions they have received. Through sight, touch, sound, taste, and smell the sensorial Montessori materials enable the child to clarify and comprehend the world.

Preschool-aged children have naturally mathematical minds. They have the capacity to reason, to calculate and to estimate. They are intensely conscious of quantity, counting pebbles on the beach or cookies for desert. The concrete Montessori mathematical materials allow these sensorial explorers to begin their mathematical journey from the concrete to the abstract through manipulation, experimentation and invention.

The Montessori primary classroom emphasizes spoken language as the foundation for all linguistic expression. By using language in the classroom through listening, storytelling, reading, and dramatic play a child develops a love of literature and good communication skills. Dr. Montessori saw the road to reading as a dual path that involved the education of the hand and the education of the mind.

The cultural studies curriculum includes botany, zoology, geography, history, music and art. Through exploring history and natural world the children begin to have an understanding and appreciation of the physical and cultural nature of the Earth and its diverse populations.

Sung In the Morning

Good morning dear earth,

Good morning dear sun,

Good morning to the animals,

And to the flowers everyone

Good morning to the busy bees

And the birds in the trees,

Good morning to you,

And good morning to me.

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Sung Before Snack

Earth that gave us all this food

Sun that made it ripe and good

Dearest earth, and rain and sun:

We'll not forget what you have done

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Sung at the End of the Day

Good bye, so long, farewell my friends.

Good bye, so long, farewell.

I'll see you soon again my friends

So goodbye, so long, farewell.