:: Additional Information
|
| Pre School and Kindergarten Program |
Pre School and Kindergarten children
work with very special Montessori equipment in classes filled
with activity and discovery which includes both the development
of one's own individuality and group participation in the
following areas: |
| PRACTICAL LIFE EXERCISES |
Children learn freely with adult help
how to button their shirt, tie their shoes, clean house and
other activities. Good manners are also emphasized and children
learn to say "please" and "thank you." |
| SENSORAL EXERCISES |
Building imaginations with real Montessori
Sensorial Materials teach children to use their sense of touch,
feeling, taste and smell as a key to the basic understanding
of reality. |
| MATH |
Children learn to perform counting, addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division exercises by using
and handling Montessori mathematical materials such as rods,
beads, spindles, cubes, cards and counters, etc. which also
teaches them to visualize the whole structure of our numerical
system. |
| ENGLISH LANGUAGE |
Children trace letter shapes, listen
to the sounds, play word games and learn to read by matching
up words and pictures through phonetics and word building.
Reading and writing are keys to help synthesize their knowledge
of our English language. |
| GEOGRAPHY |
Montessori teachers focus the child's
attention on maps and globes. Hands on experiences are emphasized
in order for them to experience a study of the earth and its
natural phenomena. |
| SOCIAL STUDIES |
An awareness of other cultures is presented
through photographs, maps and stories to illustrate the problems
and needs of people in the world and to help the child appreciate
talents, joy and beauty of different world cultures. |
| MUSIC/ART |
Poems, nursery rhymes and songs give the child a beautiful
experience. It connects language with the movements of the
body. The children use crayons, paper and art supplies.
|
EDUCATIONAL COMPARISONS
|
CONVENTIONAL
|
MONTESSORI
|
| Pervasive emphasis on grades,merits, social conformity |
Self humanization as root motivation |
| Children grouped chronologicallyonly on age per class |
Non graded, 2 or 3 year age span |
| Class seated at desk most of thetime for group lessons |
Students work at tables, on floorfreedom of movement |
| Class as a group studies onesubject at a time |
Children pursue their own self-pacedcurriculum, individually
or in small groups |
| Children are taught by teachers,society's conforming
values |
Children in direct contact with development,i.e. natural,
sensory and cultural experiences |
| Class schedules limit child'sinvolvement |
Long blocks of time permitinvaluable concentration |
| Relatively frequent interruptions;bells, adult interventions |
Relatively few interruptions |
| Postponement of cognitivedevelopment until first grade |
Critical cognitive skills developedbefore age 6 |
| Teacher society "corrects"pupils' "errors" |
Children learn from peers, self-correctingmaterials.
Teacher's role as guide. |
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