Welcome

An introduction to a Montessori Primary Classroom

“Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world” --Montessori

Montessori: a really brief history

Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952), Italy’s first female physician, started her work with children when she took a position at the psychiatric clinic of the University of Rome where she worked with and observed special needs children. She then began to develop a pedagogy to educate these children and later refined it for broader application.

Montessori: a really brief history

Dr. Montessori founded the first Children’s House founded in 1907 in San Lorenzo (Rome, Italy). Through critical observations, Dr. Montessori was able to create a unique pedagogy

“The word education must not be understood in the sense of teaching but of assisting the psychological development of the child.” (Dr. Montessori)

100 years later…

Montessori schools can be found around the world, following those same principles used in that first classroom.

Three important principles:

• Repetition – The child can repeat an activity, which aids concentration and

leads to mastery.

• Movement– The child can walk around the room of his or her own will.

Movement is also essential in many of the activities as it aids learning.

• Choice– The child may choose which activity he or she would like to do.

So then,

What are the limits?

The Prepared Environment“Everything should be in

proportion to the size of the child…The clear, lighted rooms, with little low windows, wreathed in flowers, with small pieces of furniture of every shape just like the furniture of a nicely furnished home.”

–Montessori, The Secret of Childhood

How it works

• Control of movement (the child needs to move carefully around the classroom)

• Limitations on number of activities (there is only one set of each activity—with a few exceptions.)

• Concentration does wonderful things. When a child concentrates he or she is calm and quiet and able to learn.

What does my child do all day?

In a Montessori primary room there are basically four distinct areas:

1. Practical Life

2. Sensorial

3. Language

4. Math

Practical Life

Practical life is known as the ‘gateway’ to the Children’s House. These activities create an important foundation. The works are designed to aid concentration, independence and development of the will.

Sensorial

Montessori believed it was through the senses that the child takes in all the information around him or her. These materials are designed to appeal to specific senses and teach the child about the properties of the world.

Language

The language materials are designed to make learning to read and write spontaneous occurrences of great joy for the child

Language Materials

• Begins with spoken language

• The child will start to write before he or she reads

• Reading begins with phonetics and then quickly moves on to “total reading”

The moveable alphabet

Stages of Writing

Math Materials

Math materials begin with learning numbers 1-10, then the decimal system and linear counting and lastly, the materials help to move to child to further abstraction so the child begins to perform basic operations in his or her head.