Dr. Montessori found that a child’s true nature is that of peace and harmony which emerges through normalization. In order to fully develop the child both physically and intellectually, the child must have freedom. The Montessori methods and principles applied in the classroom help the child achieve this freedom when they are allowed to work free from adult intervention and to follow their natural development. Dr. Montessori developed what she called the “Prepared Environment” which possesses a certain order and allows children to learn at their own pace and choose the materials they want to work with. Through normalization they become self-disciplined individuals. The years between three and six are the years in which children are most attracted to the rules of human behavior. It is during this period that children learn manners and practice them in a very natural way. In the Montessori Method, guides are able to observe each child each child individually.
Children develop a love for mathematics in their early years by working with concrete mathematical materials. Children who become interested in counting touch or move the items as they enumerate them. Math materials such as beads for counting, abacus, spindles will assist the children to perform different functions such as separating, counting and comparing. Children will learn the basic operations of mathematics.
Children between the ages of 2-6 are fascinated by the real world around them, i.e., worms, butterflies, beautiful flowers, birds and the list goes on…The science materials in the classroom present certain aspects of this world in such a way that the child can observe and experiment what they have learned. Puzzles showing different parts of the tree, flower, horse, fish and frog are all examples of these materials. A garden where children plant seeds and grow vegetables, flowers and fruits give children hands-on experiences. The focus of science is that the child learns how to be a scientist by classifying, recording results; they are objective, organized and able to perform tasks in a predetermined order. The world around them will teach them to see all living creatures as part of science.
The Montessori classroom has many large, wooden puzzles which are actually maps of the different continents. The beauty of these puzzles draws the children to them. The children love to trace the different countries within the continents and learn their names. These puzzles are among the most popular activities in the classroom. The children love to use these maps as puzzles at first then with the assistance of the guide they learn the names of many of the countries as well as other information. This area also contains objects from other countries as well as pictures of different cultures, their dress, food and many other facts that help the children gain an awareness of the world around them. The study of different cultures also helps to raise the consciousness about other people and to gain an understanding and respect for all people in the world. We will celebrate several cultural holidays throughout the year.
In the classroom children will learn the phonetic sounds of the letters in Spanish and English before learning the alphabet. The reason for this is that they will need to know these sounds to be able to read. Once they have mastered several sounds they will start putting them together and forming words. The children also learn to read sight words, which are common, short words that increase reading fluency when children can read them without sounding them out. The sight words are learned through word bingo or other work that is available to them. In the classroom there will be language boxes composed of sandpaper letters and several objects to match the phonetic sound of that particular letter. The teachers will also read to the students in Spanish.
In this area of the classroom children perfect their coordination and can become absorbed in an activity such as pouring or scooping from one container to another, these activities such as washing dishes, paring vegetables, polishing shoes, cutting bread, setting a table etc. gradually lengthen their span of concentration with various exercises. They also learn to pay attention to details as they follow a regular sequence of actions. Finally, they learn good working habits as they finish each task and put away all the materials before beginning another activity. These activities are exciting to children because they allow them to imitate adults. Imitation is one of a child’s strongest urges during the early years.
The Sensorial Materials in the classroom help to educate the child’s five senses. The children become aware of details by offering them, at first, strongly contrasted sensations, and then variously graded sensations. The materials help children distinguish, categorize, and relate new information to what they already know. Each of the Sensorial Materials isolates one defining quality such as color, weight, shape, texture, size, sound, smell, etc. The materials emphasize this one particular quality and minimizing the other differences. Educators believe that this process is the beginning of conscious knowledge which is brought about by the impressions given by the senses.
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