How to Use the Guides

Using the guides with ages 3 - 6           Using the guides with ages 6 -12

                                      

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Maria Montessori’s emphasis was on world peace by giving the child an overview of the whole world and universe. Our curriculum is based on Maria Montessori’s philosophy and peace curriculum, also called cosmic education.
Working from the whole to the parts, the guides begin with a study of the child and his or her immediate environment and expands to the greater picture of our universe and solar system. We return to our earth to investigate the four elements, an overview of the seven continents, the time lines, our continent, our country, our state, our city. The year continues with research and exploration of each continent’s culture, art, geography, biomes, plants, animals, and people. A universal view is presented, honoring all religions and cultures. The child gains a sense of self and community, a connection with the natural world, an empathy with all the earth’s inhabitants, and a greater perspective of where he or she fits into the universe. See Bird's Eye View of the Year link at the top of the page for an overview of the year.

As Maria Montessori emphasized, it is essential to be spontaneous and sensitive to the needs of the child, at times going deeper into a subject while minimizing or even omitting others. Select, adapt, rearrange, expand, minimize, omit, and merge these ideas with your own. Weekly journal pages are provided in the guides to assist in this process.

The set of lesson guides is presented in the form of daily suggestions or ideas. More ideas are given on each daily page than can be used in a single day to provide a variety of ideas to pick and choose from year to year. The fourth guide in the set, Summer,  is an essential part of the complete curriculum, and should be integrated into a nine or ten month program if not using a year round program. Some schools, with or without a summer session, choose to spread the curriculum over a two or three year period.

Although the curriculum was developed in the United States, it may be adapted for use in any country. Plug in your continent and country where appropriate and rearrange the material as needed.

The current edition (June 2006 and later) contains instructions for basic and non-Montessori specific work, either on the daily pages if there is space, or at the back of the book. Letters in parentheses after each work are for use with the companion book Supplement to the Guides: Instructions for the Montessori Work (P) indicates to look in the supplement under Practical Life, (S) Sensorial, (M) Math, (T) Time lines, history and Great Lessons, (L) Language, (G) Pre-Geography and Geography, (SCI) Science and Botany, (A) Art Cards.

I am often asked which Montessori equipment to purchase first if on a limited budget. Beginning with the 2007 edition the most essential Montessori materials are indicated with an asterisk (*) next to them. Many of the materials can be hand made and instructions are included in the Supplement to the Guides.

                                            About the Guides
The set of lesson guides was developed over a period of fifteen years by a Montessori classroom director, led and directed by the needs and interests of the children in her classrooms. They are designed to be flexible in use and adapted to the situation. As a springboard for launching into various subjects of interest to nourish the growth of each child, the guides integrate practical life, grace and courtesy, peace curriculum, the Great Lessons, sensorial, math, language, science, botany, zoology, geography, music, yoga body awareness, and art into a meaningful yearly theme. The guides provide a framework and starting point for new teachers and a source of renewed inspiration for experienced teachers. Journaling, observing & following the child, and modifying these guides accordingly are important components for using them.

Montessori 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. 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."

Maria Montessori said, "The concept of an education centered upon the care of the living being alters all previous ideas." She taught that the first job of the teacher is to prepare an environment where the child can teach himself and develop self discipline. The classroom becomes a small community, or "Children’s House" where the children share a love and ownership of the environment and spontaneously take responsibility for its care. The classroom, the materials, the plants, and the animals are enthusiastically cared for by the children. Perhaps the most difficult job of the Montessori classroom director is to become invisible enough to allow this to occur.

                               " Follow the Child "