The Montessori Curriculum
Practical Life : These activities include familiar tasks that the child has seen / exposed to in his immediate environment : folding, sweeping, pouring, transferring, washing, polishing, rangoli etc. “ Grace and Courtesy”, which is an integral part of any civilised society is also presented to the child as activities. These activities help the child to independent leading to higher self-image, self- respect and self-confident. The purpose of these activities is to enhance hand-eye co-ordination, concentration, exploration of his/her surroundings and independently preparing the child for reading and writing. Children are encouraged and helped to complete the taken task from beginning to the end which helps them build their will, self-discipline, capacity to concentrate and confidence.
Sensorial : The only way knowledge is acquire from the outside stimulus / environment is through our FIVE senses, sensitising them will enhance the child’s receptivity and awareness. With children being overloaded with sensorial information, these materials isolates a specific quality: smell, taste, weight, length, texture, colour etc. The purpose of these materials is to allow the child to find order and meaning to the world, enhancing their capacity of perception and observation leading to appreciation and admiration for everything in their surrounding.
Mathematics : With the nature of math being abstract, children are given a concrete experience to understand the concepts of maths. Learning number recognition, sequencing, counting, decimal system, math operations etc are all introduced sensorially, laying a foundation for more complex concepts such as algerba and geometry.
Language : Children by the age of THREE will have acquired sufficient vocabulary to communicate within their immediate environment. The language materials help the child to enhance and enrich their vocabulary so that then can explore both written and spoken language. Language activities such as sandpaper letters, movable alphabets, phonic sounds, basics of grammar are introduced to the child helping them to compose words phonetically and from short sentences. The extension to language activities will lead to Cultural Curriculum.
Cultural : These activities expose the child to music, stories, artwork, society and cultural background at large. The areas of history, geography, botany and zoology are all included in this area. Children gain insight into different cultures from different countries through the use of a range of globe, puzzles and pouches containing specific information of each country. Children learn to appreciate the world around them through cultural activities. These activities help the child to know their surrounding and to realise their place in the world they live in. They teach the child to care, love and respect the environment creating a sense of solidarity with humanity as a whole.
