Free the child’s potential, and you will transform him into the world.
—Maria Montessori
The Caedmon School
Montessori Program
Montessori in the Beginners and Early Program
The exercises of the practical life and sensorial areas provide indirect preparation (mental and physical) for writing, reading, and mathematics. For example, many exercises progress from left-to-right and top-to-bottom. Holding a knobbed cylinder by its knob, or using tweezers to transfer materials from one container to another help to strengthen the pencil grip. Practicing an exercise following the cycle from beginning through its many steps, to the end lays the mental groundwork for problem-solving disciplines like math and science. As the complexity of activities increases, the children develop the length and quality of their concentration. With the full completion of a task, they gain a sense of order and process. By working on their own and self-correcting their efforts, the children become active and independent learners.
Practical Life
Maria Montessori believed that the daily activities of children should be incorporated into their early education. These “practical life” exercises are based upon activities that are usually encountered in the course of daily living, such as spooning, pouring, washing a table, buttoning clothing, etc. They are particularly designed to meet the needs of the 3 - 6 year old child, who experiences a natural inclination toward repetitive movement, order, small objects, and detail.
Initially, the exercises promote the development of gross and fine muscle control, and the refinement of hand-eye coordination. Their continued practice helps to develop concentration to detail, independence of judgment, and also a personal sense of order. As such, practical life skills are the building blocks upon which all learning is based.
Sensorial
Materials, in all their varied shapes, sizes, and textures, aid children in exploring, ordering, and categorizing their sense perceptions. With this idea in mind, Maria Montessori created an area of learning called “sensorial.”
Sensorial materials are organized according to categories of sense:
- visual: size, color and form
- muscular-tactile: surfaces, textures
- stereognosis: temperature and pressure
- auditory: sounds and musical tones
- olfactory - gustatory
When children attempt to build a tall tower using rectangular blocks of decreasing size, or trace with their fingers the shape of a letter made from sandpaper, they experience “height” and “shape” using several senses. Since children all begin with their own unique set of sensory strengths, these exercises help them discover new concepts in the way that is most suited to their personal learning style.
Prepared Environment
One of the key components of the Montessori method is the classroom environment. Teachers design the environment of their classrooms to meet the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical needs of the children. The classroom provides purposeful activities that encourage and develop independence in children. The prepared environments of the Early Program have a particular structure and order that provide children with the possibility of successfully completing tasks independently. Materials are organized on the shelves according to the skill they are designed to develop, and are sequenced by increasing difficulty. Children are free to move about the classroom and choose activities independently. The prepared environment always maintains an aesthetic quality. The design of the classrooms and materials are simple, natural, and beautifully designed. Cleanliness and care of the classroom and materials are important, and the children participate in their upkeep. The furniture and the materials are child-sized and everything in the room is accessible to the children.
Montessori in Elementary Program
How does the Montessori philosophy in the Early Program relate to the Elementary Program?
Caedmon’s interpretation of Montessori has carefully and thoughtfully evolved over the past four decades. We believe that Montessori saw education as an organic process, one which would change as the children change, as a result of their experiences with contemporary culture and advancing technology. Current Montessori practice at Caedmon, therefore, involves a number of modifications to Montessori’s original methodology. Throughout the school, the “spirit” of Montessori prevails.
The materials, activities, and procedures of the Early Program serve as a foundation for many of the academic skills that are developed as the children get older. They instill in the children important life-long skills and also habits of mind, such as:
- left-right directionality: setting up everything in the classroom left to right reinforces the physical memory so that reading and writing occur naturally
- pencil grip: many of the Montessori materials reinforce the use of the three fingers for grasping (e.g., cylinders, tweezers, tongs, etc.). This naturally progresses to an appropriate pencil grip. The variety of pressure needed for the different activities builds the strength and sensitivity necessary for writing — where the proper pressure is necessary.
- the work cycle: understanding that work consists of taking the materials from the shelf, performing the task, and returning the finished product and the materials to their appropriate place
- curiosity and a sense of wonder: presenting materials and lessons in a quiet and focused manner reinforces a sense of curiosity and attention to detail that will influence their learning for the rest of their lives.
- the activities in the classroom are attractive, interesting, self-correcting, and mainly, satisfying in themselves. The children approach learning situations for the satisfaction they derive from them.
- the style of the presentations, the focus, a quiet, slow pace, attention to detail, and aesthetic appearance all reinforce the importance of learning patience, developing the ability to observe, and taking pride in their work.
- the variety of materials that exists in all the classrooms, and the reintroduction of topics and skills in many different ways, demonstrates respect for the children - their level, pace, style, etc.
- aesthetics: caring for the aesthetic qualities in everything - the presentations, the layout of the classroom, the information, materials, etc.
- models of excellence: demonstrating standards of excellence and helping the children to believe that it is within their reach.
