About Christian Montessori Curriculum
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Who is Dr. Montessori?
Dr. Maria Montessori began her work in the slums of Rome in the early 1900s. Her deep respect for children and their natural desire to learn was a primary and revolutionary tenet of her method. Her method has spread around the world, and her philosophy of early childhood development and teach ability has won wide acceptance in education. |
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See this article in Forbes about the many benefits of Montessori education and the successful innovators who received Montessori education.
What is a Montessori classroom like?
The Montessori classroom is uniquely designed to optimize the child's sensitive years, when he can learn readily by absorbing information from an enriched environment. The child grasps abstract concepts that are first introduced through materials he can manipulate. The child can read, write and calculate in the same natural way he learns to walk and talk because the Montessori classroom invites him to learn according to his own periods of interest and readiness. As the child is guided in the correct use of materials, he becomes increasingly independent. Gradually he learns how to order his inner self, which leads to self-discipline, harmony and a prevailing atmosphere of respect within the class.
The child maintains his enthusiasm for learning, which is key to being a truly educated person. Parents are encouraged to be active partners in their child's education both at home and at school.
Click here to learn more about specific Montessori works we use at Apostles Day School.
The Montessori classroom is uniquely designed to optimize the child's sensitive years, when he can learn readily by absorbing information from an enriched environment. The child grasps abstract concepts that are first introduced through materials he can manipulate. The child can read, write and calculate in the same natural way he learns to walk and talk because the Montessori classroom invites him to learn according to his own periods of interest and readiness. As the child is guided in the correct use of materials, he becomes increasingly independent. Gradually he learns how to order his inner self, which leads to self-discipline, harmony and a prevailing atmosphere of respect within the class.
The child maintains his enthusiasm for learning, which is key to being a truly educated person. Parents are encouraged to be active partners in their child's education both at home and at school.
Click here to learn more about specific Montessori works we use at Apostles Day School.
What are the categories of Montessori works?
The curriculum is divided primarily into five categories: practical life, sensorial, language, math and cultural.
Practical life
The real-life activities in practical life foster independence, coordination of fine and gross motor movement, order and self control. Through these activities the child learns how to learn. It is the basis for future learning and the doorway to the Montessori curriculum.
Examples of practical life works include pouring, sifting, threading, packing a lunchbox, etc.
Sensorial
The primary purpose of the sensorial materials is to help the child receive precise and detailed information so that he may classify and establish order in his world and develop the child's visual, auditory, and tactile senses. Music and art education, part of each day's activities, deepen the child's appreciation of beauty.
Examples include pink tower, brown stairs, knobbed cylinders, etc.
Language
Language works provide children with the foundation to learn to read and write as well as the motor skills to do so.
Works such as metal insets help children develop the pincer grip needed to write, while sandpaper letters in phonics help children learn the sound and shape of the letters of the alphabet and gain a muscle memory of the letter shapes. This helps them learn to sound out words as they begin reading. Children also work with object boxes to learn to identify the beginning sounds of objects.
Math
Montessori math materials allow abstract concepts to be concretely evident. If given access to math equipment in early years, the child can easily learn many facts and concepts that would require rote drill in later years.
Math works include:
Tracing sandpaper numbers helps the children learn to identify the numbers and how to form the numbers correctly.
Working with the Spindle Box: The main aims of this work are to guide a child in his/her learning to count and to introduce the concept of *Zero"
Teens Board: Learning to identify Teen numbers and to know the correct name and symbols for them.
Culture
Cultural learning includes subjects such as geography, science, art, music, and other subjects which collectively, contribute to making a student a well-rounded citizen of the world. For example, the children identify animals by name and whether they live on land, sea, or air.
Keys to future learning, language, reading and writing are incorporated in all areas of the curriculum. The child quickly and joyfully acquires new concepts and skills when allowed to progress at his own pace.
The curriculum is divided primarily into five categories: practical life, sensorial, language, math and cultural.
Practical life
The real-life activities in practical life foster independence, coordination of fine and gross motor movement, order and self control. Through these activities the child learns how to learn. It is the basis for future learning and the doorway to the Montessori curriculum.
Examples of practical life works include pouring, sifting, threading, packing a lunchbox, etc.
Sensorial
The primary purpose of the sensorial materials is to help the child receive precise and detailed information so that he may classify and establish order in his world and develop the child's visual, auditory, and tactile senses. Music and art education, part of each day's activities, deepen the child's appreciation of beauty.
Examples include pink tower, brown stairs, knobbed cylinders, etc.
Language
Language works provide children with the foundation to learn to read and write as well as the motor skills to do so.
Works such as metal insets help children develop the pincer grip needed to write, while sandpaper letters in phonics help children learn the sound and shape of the letters of the alphabet and gain a muscle memory of the letter shapes. This helps them learn to sound out words as they begin reading. Children also work with object boxes to learn to identify the beginning sounds of objects.
Math
Montessori math materials allow abstract concepts to be concretely evident. If given access to math equipment in early years, the child can easily learn many facts and concepts that would require rote drill in later years.
Math works include:
Tracing sandpaper numbers helps the children learn to identify the numbers and how to form the numbers correctly.
Working with the Spindle Box: The main aims of this work are to guide a child in his/her learning to count and to introduce the concept of *Zero"
Teens Board: Learning to identify Teen numbers and to know the correct name and symbols for them.
Culture
Cultural learning includes subjects such as geography, science, art, music, and other subjects which collectively, contribute to making a student a well-rounded citizen of the world. For example, the children identify animals by name and whether they live on land, sea, or air.
Keys to future learning, language, reading and writing are incorporated in all areas of the curriculum. The child quickly and joyfully acquires new concepts and skills when allowed to progress at his own pace.
Spiritual formation
The Christian curriculum is a combination of Godly Play and Good Shepherd Catechesis. It is age-appropriate and is based on the Montessori method. This provides a path on which children may form a true, faithful relationship with God. The child's spirit is nourished with scripture, liturgical study and daily worship. The child meditates on God's Word through the use of sensorial rich materials in his search for an ever-deeper understanding of the Kingdom of God. Music for praise and learning is offered in the classroom and in weekly chapel sessions.
What does this look like in practice? For example, after hearing the Genesis creation story in chapel, the children learn a song about creation and do craft projects showing each day of the creation process, as shown below. These activities reinforce what the children learn, allow them to develop fine motor skills, and also provides context for learning about animals, space, etc.
What does this look like in practice? For example, after hearing the Genesis creation story in chapel, the children learn a song about creation and do craft projects showing each day of the creation process, as shown below. These activities reinforce what the children learn, allow them to develop fine motor skills, and also provides context for learning about animals, space, etc.
Pre-primary students displaying the crafts they did to show the 7 days of the Biblical creation story
