Practical Life Activities
Through engaging in simulations of everyday activities children develop skills to foster independence while also learning the healthy habits of sharing space, working materials, solving problems, taking constructive criticism and giving compliments in positive ways.
Sensorial activities
Sensorial Activities are spatial, tactile, and all around sensory activites scientifically designed to develop, refine, classify, and grade the stimulation children receive through all five of their senses. Montessorians have prized this area of development for over a century but we find it more valuable than ever in our modern, screen-based world to give children concrete activities to help them ground themselves in the physical world.
Montessori Mathematics
All the activities in math are designed to develop the child’s mathematical mind. Learning begins with the child’s use of concrete materials such as number rods, spindle box, geometric shapes, fraction puzzles, and many hands-on math games for number relationships, sorting, matching, and place value.
Language Arts
The sounds of the alphabet are presented in phonics and reading and writing in a natural way. Vocabulary development is emphasized in all subjects. Most five-year olds will attempt reading and writing on their own with little effort and much enjoyment.
Pictured to the right , the Movable Alphabet in use in an early 20th Century Italian classroom. The Movable Alphabet is one of many Montessori materials that has been used successfully for over 100 years in classrooms around the world.
Photo Credit: http://www.montessoricentenary.org
Science
While we try to infuse the scientific method & causal thinking in every area of a child's experience. We also take a topical approach to science. Children learn about natural phenomena such as why we eat healthy food, why we need air, and how our bodies work. By conducting age-appropriate experiments the children learn to identify, classify, grade, and record their findings through observation of plants, animals, and humans within the environment.
Geography
Children are introduced to the globe, “the world we live on”, and learn about land and water forms. From there they proceed to work with geographical puzzles and learn more about our earth, its continents and various countries, as well as the geography of the United States.
Social Studies
We learn about diverse music, dance, languages, and cultures. We use the diversity of our classroom as a source for learning and teaching.
Art and craft appreciation is cultivated by exposing the children to various kinds of art skills such as painting, drawing, sewing, looming, collage, and printing. As well as performance art through dance, gymnastics, or drama.
Music is provided as part of the daily routine in the form of rhythm, instruments, dancing, singing, finger play, and classical music played in the background in the classroom as much as possible. We also enjoy a music lessons twice a week
Physical Education is designed to nurture the large, small, and fine motor development. Strength and coordination are developed in all areas of the curriculum.