What is Montessori?
The Montessori curriculum concentrates on five areas of critical learning and development- Sensorial, Practical Life Skills, Language, Math and Cultural. Children’s knowledge of the core areas builds each year and by the time they reach the end of kindergarten they have a firm understanding of the material.
Language
Language Lessons are incorporated into all curriculum areas to assist with vocabulary development, progression into reading, development of writing skills and composition. Language in Montessori starts with individual letter sounds. Sandpaper Letters provide children with a multisensory experience that helps them imprint the letter shapes into their memory.
Cultural
Cultural Activities are a specific extension of the language curriculum where children begin to acquire a sense of historical fact, nomenclature of physical geography and an appreciation of cultural differences. Science includes physical science, botany and zoology. Geography explores the different cultures and countries of each continent. History gives children a sense of time and their place in time. A variety of hands-on activities enrich the knowledge of subjects and their overall area, such as the Sandpaper Globe.
Practical Life Skills
Practical Life is the study of self-help skills and focuses on the four major areas, Care of Self, Care of Environment, Grace and Courtesy, and Movement. Through Practical Life materials, children build self confidence and develop large and fine motor skills, which lead to handwriting. Practical Life allows children the time to practice activities like pouring scooping, tweezing, tying, buttoning, etc.
Sensorial
Sensorial uses a multi-sensory approach to education. Children are encouraged to learn by processing information gathered through the senses. Specially designed materials engage multiple senses to reinforce basic concepts. For example, the Geometric Cabinet uses the senses of touch and sight to learn the differences in shapes. Children build their vocabulary skills by naming the shapes and gain a basic understanding of geometry concepts.
Math
Math continues the cognitive math development that began in the Practical Life Skills and Sensorial curriculum, taking an acute focus and more abstract thinking process with concrete materials. With the Colored Bead System, children learn such skills as basic addition, skip counting- which leads to multiplication and number building up to four digit numbers.
Is Montessori right for my child?
The Children, Inc. schools that offer Montessori classrooms also offer traditional classrooms. This unique situation allows parents and teachers to work together to find the teaching style that best suits each child and family, without having to transition into a different school. While Montessori and traditional classrooms offer very different programs, they both have a common goal; to prepare children to excel in elementary school.
With Children, Inc., BOTH Montessori and Traditional Classrooms:
- Emphasize development of literacy skills and an interest in books and reading
- Focus on developing social skills and building resilience in children
- Have well-equipped classrooms with diverse learning materials
- Hold regularly scheduled family events
- Have spectacular playgrounds, or “outdoor classrooms” that include equipment to promote physical development for all ages
- Employ committed, highly trained staff
- Integrate the arts into everyday curriculum
- Offer a Dance Specialist to encourage growth, development and self-esteem through dance, rhythm and movement and a Music Specialist who helps the children learn about themselves and their unique talents through songs written specifically for the curriculum
- Promote healthy children and families through free annual vision and hearing screenings and an oral health program
- Provide healthy meals and snacks approved by the USDA Food Program
Montessori and Children, Inc.
Children, Inc. is a leader in area Montessori programs. Our Montessori schools offer the following strengths to children and families:
- Children, Inc. offers the only full-day, year round Montessori schools in Northern Kentucky.
- Children, Inc. offers the only Northern Kentucky Montessori classrooms that are nationally accredited by NAEYC and rated 3 star centers through the Kentucky Department of Education- two of the best independent quality indicators for child care.
- Children, Inc. is the first and only early education and care organization to employ full time Dance and Music Specialists to enhance and broaden arts programming.
- Children, Inc, schools align curriculum to Kentucky's Core Content areas, providing the kinds of activities and experiences that children are going to have mastered in order to succeed in Kindergarten.
Children, Inc. is also the regional leader in instruction for Montessori educators through the Greater Cincinnati Center for Montessori Education
Parents want to feel safe and secure in leaving their children in an environment that provides for all of their academic, social and emotional needs. Below are some characteristics of the Montessori Method:
- Three year age span of children within the classroom - Older children teaching younger children, sense of community, builds self esteem.
- The items found on the shelves in the classroom are "materials" rather than "toys." The children "work with the materials" rather than "play with the toys." This allows the children to gain the most benefit from the environment by giving them a sense of worth - the same sense of worth adults experience as they go to their jobs and do their "work".
- Self correcting materials within the environment - Children learn through their own errors to make the correct decision versus having the teacher point it out to them.
- Individual learning takes place within the environment - Montessori recognizes that each child learns at a different pace and allows that growth to take place.
- Children are quiet by choice and out of respect for others within the environment - The Montessori classroom allows children to return to the "inner peace" that is a natural part of their personalities.
- There is an emphasis on concrete learning rather than on abstract learning - Children need to experience concepts in concrete "hands on" ways.
- It is a child centered environment - All the materials are easily within the child's reach, placed on shelves at their levels. The tables and chairs are small enough for the children to sit comfortably while the pictures and decorations are placed at the children's eye level.
- The children work for the joy of working and the sense of discovery - Children are natural learners or "sponges" and delight in learning new tasks.
- The environment provides a natural sense of discipline - The "ground rules" or expectations of the child are clearly stated and are enforced by the children and the teachers.
- The environment is "prepared" for the children - Everything in the room has a specific place on the shelf. Children are orderly by nature and having the room set this way allows them to grow in a very positive way.
- The teacher plays a very unobtrusive role in the classroom - The children are not motivated by the teacher, but by the need for self development.
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