The five key areas of learning in the Montessori environment include: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics and Culture. In addition, each term’s theme allow children ample time to study the subject; utilising related arts, crafts and music, math, language, cooking and baking which enhance the understanding of the theme.Examples of themes are My Body, The Elements, Biomes, South Africa, Occupations. Every material in a Montessori classroom supports an aspect of child development, allowing children to develop their maximum potential and build a solid foundation for life-long learning.
This curriculum area is dedicated to the familiar Activities of Everyday Living, activities that bridge home life and school life. These experiences are real and not make- believe. The Montessori Practical Life materials allow the child to develop key life skills, improve concentration and gain independence.
In the Montessori classroom, there are four groups of practical life exercises:
The Sensorial materials break down abstract concepts into concrete activities. Concepts such as dimension, colour, form, texture, volume, weight and shape are easily understood using materials that clearly isolate each concept. The child is then able to apply his understanding to the real world around him, creating in him abstract thinking and creativity.
Montessori numeracy curriculum requires firm following of the sequence, as each lesson depends on the mastery of the previous activity. Mathematics experiences are presented to the child from concrete to abstract and easy to complex for the child to establish an understanding of the meaning of number symbols and their relationship to quantities. The child is taken through early maths (counting, recognising, sequencing, and combining quantity and symbol), the decimal system (naming concrete operation, abstract operations and combining them), teens and tens, early addition, subtraction and multiplication, with arithmetic tables and geometry. The child’s readiness is an important factor in this curriculum.
In the classroom the child is is exposed to a wealth of storytelling, rhymes, music, poetry, listening, and speaking opportunities. Reading and writing are learned through a systematic phonic approach, starting with the sounds of the alphabet and moving on to blending sounds together to form words, and learning high-frequency sight words. Proceeding at his own pace and working with the specially designed materials; the child begins to read – some at age four some at five and some at six.
This is the exploration of the world around us, an expansion of a wide general knowledge and sense of wonder. This Montessori curriculum area is filled with a collection of fascinating materials that allow the young child to gain an overview of Biology, Geography, Science, and History. The children are introduced to science through experiments and exploration. Globes, maps, flags and models of land and water formations allow the children to explore the world’s continents, oceans, people and customs.
In our Montessori classroom we design our environment to meet the needs of the child to be creative, to explore, to invent. The forms of creativity covered by the curriculum include, but are not limited to, art, baking, music and free play.
Art is a special way of communicating one’s spirit. Opportunities for the children to create and express themselves through art and craft are integrated into the environment as part of the day-to-day activities. Little People will welcome your child in exploring with a variety of media and techniques.
Baking and cooking ignites creativity, teaches children how to follow instructions, involves maths and measuring, and always brings smiles.
A school that sings is a happy school! Opportunities for singing are part of our daily life. Music is incorporated into our daily circle time.
Through play, children learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to solve conflicts and to speak up for themselves. Our play ground is well equipped (jungle gym, trampoline) and provides opportunities to develop gross motor skills; and to encourage imagination (wendy house, sandpit, ball pond) and free play, under constant supervision. Play improves creativity, leads to happier children and helps kids build self-confidence