Lambs and Shepherds Montessori: What Curriculum Does a Montessori Pre-School Use?

The Montessori environment is divided into distinct areas of:

* Practical Life
* Sensorial
* Math
* Language
* Geography
* Science
* Art / Sewing

Although these areas represent the parts of the curriculum, it is important to remember that no subject is taught in isolation. The environment is interdisciplinary and interactive.
Group lessons, music and movement are also included in the child’s daily routine.

What is a Montessori Preschool?

* Maria Montessori's own clinical observations led her to analyze how children learn, how children build themselves from what they find in their environment.

* Children under the age of six have extraordinary powers of the mind. They have a universal, once in a life-time ability to absorb knowledge from their surroundings just by living. Because of the absorbent mind, pre-school children do not need direct teaching in order to learn.

* The Montessori environment therefore allows them to move, touch, manipulate and explore a variety of materials. It gives them freedom to choose their own work independently, based on their own initiative.

* Because of their constant interactions, the children learn to take responsibility for themselves and for each other. They also learn to get along with children of different ages and abilities, to respect each other’s work and work space, and to treat each other with courtesy. They learn to excuse themselves, to greet each other, and to phrase requests politely. They also take an active role in maintaining their classroom by, among other things, putting material away in their proper place, ready for the next child to use.

* In short, the classroom becomes a thriving community where children are treated with respect and dignity and want to treat others with the same respect and dignity.