Curriculum – Montessori

  • Mixed age grouping (3-4-5 and 6-7-8) 
  • Small group work is supported rather than whole-group interaction. 
  • Child-size furnitures and materials for children to use themselves, no need teacher presentation. 
  • individual or small group work engagement 
  • Cooperation rather than competition in completing work.
  • Teachers observe, redirect, support to be used different materials. 
  • “giving help to the child’s life” 
  • “follow the child” ( development) 
  • The first period of life to be the most dynamic and of the highest importance 
  • Planes of development ; 
    • 0-6: The child constructing himself from experiences,
    •  6-12: The child wants to move outside the classroom (culture,imagination,morality, relationship) , 
    • 12-18: Child reconstruct himself as a social being. 
    • 18-24: The young adult is able to make full use of available educational resources. 
  • The absorbent mind: unconsciously learning language.(Piaget’s sensorimotor) About age 3, it shifts to a more conscious purposeful type.(Piaget’s preoperational stage) 
  • The development of the Will: deepens the experience, deepens children’s ability to concentrate and direct actions in other situations. 
    • An atmosphere of freedom within limits in Montessori classrooms/ balance between freedom and limits. 
    • Environment: it is orderly but not rigid, prepared but not fixed 
  • Six Essential Components of the Montessori learning environment:
    • 1) Freedom 
    • 2) Structure and order
      • The rhythms and routines of the classroom should be predictable
      • Learning materials should be organized in a logical fashion 
      • The delivery lesson as guides to action should be exact and concise
    • 3) Reality and nature
      • Real, workable, child-size tools 
      • Didactic materials ( made up of sturdy hardwoods, glass, high-quality plastics) 
      • Plants, animal, and small gardens 
    • 4) Beauty and an atmosphere that encourages a positive and spontaneous response to life
      • Harmony 
      • Colorful environment to attract the child
      • Uncluttered
    • 5) Montessori learning materials
      • Simple materials that have one key concept.
      • Relatively simple but they can add complexity to  activity.
      • Errors for better learning. 
      • Making both physical movement and cognitive development possible 
    • 6)The development of community life
      • Socialization/ grouping children 
      • Older ones support younger ones
  • Extended and uninterrupted blocks of time for child-centered activity (children can repeat activities as often as they wish)
  • Curriculum Areas 
    • Practical Life (everyday living)
      • Sweeping, sewing, gardening, food prep., shoe polishing 
    • Sensorial (materials focusing on one or more senses) 
    • Language
    • Mathematics 
    • Music, art, movement, and drama 
  • Teacher roles; (not passive)
    • preparing classroom, good matching btw children and material, initiating psychological tone of calm and focused activity, responding genuinely, warmly and with dignity to each child and his or her needs.  
  • Three key components;
    • The child
    • The favourable environment 
    • The teacher

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