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The Montessori Approach The Classroom:
Our classroom is a "living room" for children.
Children choose their activities from open shelves with self correcting
materials and work in distinct work areas - on tables or on rugs on the floor.
Over a period of time, the children develop into a 'normalized community'
working with high concentration and few interruptions. The classroom environment
includes five distinct components discussed further below.
Our classroom also has an
elliptical line on the floor. This can be used for individual activities but
is also the place where the class meets as a whole. We usually have two class
meetings each day. One will usually serve as an early morning meeting and
precede a more individualized work period, and another will serve as our group
time preceding the final activity. The group meetings are used for
presentations of materials, discussions
of particular topics, also music activities and games.
The Learning Method:
The Montessori learning environment is much different than
the traditional model. Instead of information passing from the teacher to the
student, the teacher is trained to put the child in touch with the
environment, and help him/her learn to make intelligent choices. The teacher
then protects the student's concentration from interruption. This fosters a
love of lifetime learning in the student. Small groups of learning tend
to form spontaneously, for example as the teacher works with a child or two
with particular materials, others may ask to join in.
Keep in mind a triangle: the student, the teacher, and the
environment. It is the role of the teacher to prepare, and continue to
prepare, the environment, to link the child to it through well-thought-out
introductions to books and materials, projects, and lessons, which nurture the
child's exploration and creativity. Children thus taught often excel, and then
they learn to find answers for themselves.
The Prepared Environment:
Five distinct areas
constitute our "prepared environment". These areas all help cultivate the children's adaptation and ability to express and think
with clarity:
- Practical
Life exercises
instill care for self, for others, and for the environment. Activities include
many of the tasks children see as part of the daily routine in their home, such
as preparing food and washing dishes, along with exercises of grace and
courtesy. Through these tasks, children develop muscular coordination, enabling
movement and the exploration of their surroundings. They learn to work at a task
from start to finish, and develop their powers of control and concentration.
- Mathematics
activities help children learn and understand the concepts of math by
manipulating concrete materials. This work gives children a solid understanding
of basic mathematical principles, prepares them for later abstract reasoning,
and helps to develop problem-solving capabilities.
- Sensorial
materials serve
as tools for development. Children build cognitive skills, and learn to order
and classify impressions by touching, seeing, smelling, tasting, listening, and
exploring the physical properties of their environment.
- Language
development is
vital to human development. The Montessori environment is rich in oral
language. The sandpaper letters help children link sound and symbol
effortlessly, encouraging the development of written expression and reading
skills. Song and Movement is particularly effective for practicing words and
their meanings.
- Geography,
Biology, Botany, Zoology, Art and Music
are presented as extensions of the sensorial and language activities. Children
learn about people and cultures in other countries with an attitude of respect
and admiration. Through familiarity, children come to feel connected to the
global human family. Lessons and experiences with nature inspire a reverence for
all life.
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