|
Supplement to the Guides:
Instructions
for the Montessori Work
The supplement is for use with
the set of four classroom guides-
A Guide for the Montessori Classroom: Fall, Winter, Spring, and
Summer.
Click on a thumbnail page to see
the sample pages.
The lessons in the supplement are a
combination of the author’s Montessori Educational Programs
International (MIA/MEPI) training as well as classroom experience at
schools with various Montessori affiliations. But, a Montessori
classroom is much more than the Montessori materials/equipment.
The most important element is the Montessori philosophy. An
overall theme using Maria Montessori’s cosmic education that
introduces the child to the world and universe is also more
important than merely using Montessori equipment (see Bird's Eye
View of the Year link at the top of this website). The supplement
contains an overview of Montessori philosophy, but if you are new to
Montessori it is of utmost importance that you also read the
books by Maria Montessori listed on the Recommended Books page
at the back of the supplement and also on the This Month's Book
List page of this website.
The FOUR MAIN
AREAS of the
Montessori classroom are:
• Practical Life- Life skills, Care of the self and others, Care
of the environment, Social interaction, Grace & Courtesy
• Sensorial- Exploration of color, shape, dimension, weight,
touch, sound, taste, and smell
• Mathematics- The use of manipulable objects to understand
quantity and numeration
• Language- Development of writing and reading skills
The “prepared environment” consists of
carefully prepared shelves with materials with which the child will
direct his or her own learning. The prepared environment includes the four main
areas- Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, and Language as well
as Science, Botany, Zoology, Geography, History and Cultural
Studies, Art, and Music.
Practical Life work is designed to
give the child the
tools to care for oneself and others as well as the classroom
and in the handling of daily tasks independently of the adult. A
broken dish or water spill is matter-of-factly taken care of by
fetching the broom and dustpan or bucket and sponge. Meaningful
activity occurs spontaneously from moment to moment. Maria
Montessori’s intent for the various work lessons is to encourage
independent, creative actions enabling children to become
"masters of their environment and conscious of their power over
it."
A large amount of the work in a
Montessori classroom is hand made. Instructions for preparation of
many of the materials is included in the lesson. A lesson includes a
description of the material, supplies needed, and the process for
introducing the material to the child.
Sources for quality ready-made
Montessori materials are included. To price or purchase quality
Montessori equipment
click
here or use the "Kaybee Montessori" link on the left
column.
The
Montessori materials are introduced according to the individual
needs, interests, and readiness of each child. As each child
progresses at his or her own pace the classroom director or
homeschool parent uses keen observation to discern which work to
introduce to that child. There is no set order for introducing the
various areas of the classroom, but the work within each area does
follow a general sequence, each work building on a previous one,
which is how the Supplement is sequenced.
To order using our
secure shopping cart see
How To Order
|
