Conventional teaching methods assume children need incentives or the threat of consequences to motivate them to perform well. Montessori assumes the opposite—that children are naturally interested in learning. Just look at how very young children rarely get bored, enthusiastically explore new environments, ask endless questions, take incredible risks and automatically touch and taste anything unfamiliar.
 
The Montessori approach to education nurtures your child’s intrinsic desire to learn. Children learn by doing and through directed play, exploring sensory materials specially designed to translate abstract concepts into concrete understanding. Guided by one of three certified Montessori classroom teachers — referred to as directresses for their role as observers and sources of inspiration rather than lecturers — children work at their own pace, repeating and building upon sequential exercises until a skill is mastered. Mixed age groups offer the opportunity for cooperative learning, wherein more advanced students model skills for their younger peers, which more closely resembles interactions in the real world.

Montessori curriculum focuses on development in the following areas:

List of 11 items.

  • Practical Life

    • Care of self and environment
    • Grace and courtesy toward others
    • Independence and concentration/focus
  • Sensory

    • Refinement of senses for intellectual growth
    • Sight, sound, touch, taste, smell
  • Math

    • Progression from concrete to abstract concepts
    • Hands-on materials
  • Language

    • Spoken word and song
    • Phonetic reading and writing
    • Spanish
    • Library time
  • Science

    • Botany, zoology and life science
    • Hands-on lessons in school garden and with class pet
  • Geography

    • World cultures
    • Flag- and map-making
    • Land and water forms
  • Art

    • Study of fine art and drama
    • Developing skills with various media
  • Music

    • Daily singing
    • Montessori bells
    • Music and movement
  • Computer

    • Basic keyboarding skills
    • Montessori-designed software
  • Religion

    • Opportunities for spiritual reflection and prayer
    • Moral development
  • Physical Education

    • Music and movement
    • Ability to move and play throughout the day
    • Ice skating and swimming (kindergarten)
    • Yoga

Extracurricular Activities

  • Kindermusic for Montessori
  • Little Racquets for Montessori
  • Taekwondo for Montessori
  • Tumbling for Montessori

Recommended reading for more information

The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori
 
Learning How to Learn: An American Approach to Montessori by Nancy McCormick Rambusch
 
Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius by Angeline Stoll Lillard
 
The Essential Montessori: An Introduction to the Woman, the Writings, the Method, and the Movement by Elizabeth G. Hainstock

Maria Montessori

We discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.