|
|
|
|
A
Montessori infant environment can be considered an adapting continuum
between two basic needs of the developing infant. At one pole is
the bonded relationship between adult and child, while at the other
is support for a growing sense of self and independence. The prepared
environment is characterized by order, simplicity and beauty that
meet the needs of the child.
|
|
The
Infant activity is divided into five areas : movement, eating, sleeping,
physical care, and outside. The focus of the infant environment
is on fostering basic trust in the child. Foremost in the environment
is the adult whose caring, respectful response to the infant's needs,
both physical and psychological, conveys the message of unconditional
love and acceptance.
|
|
|
|
The
toddler classroom offers very young children a unique year of self-development
in a tender atmosphere of understanding, respect, and support. They
are unique in that they provide a very specific structure that fulfills
the social, physical, emotional, and psychological needs of each
child.
|
|
In
these environments, there is space for movement, space for individual
work, and space for group activities. The eating area and the sleeping
area are separate from the other areas. Everything in the environment
is proportionate to the child's size and is designed to be safe
and aesthetically pleasing for children. The toddler classroom is
simpler and slower paced than the early childhood (three to six
year old) classroom.
|
|
Toddlers
are given opportunities to work in the development of language skill,
art, music, sensorial, and practical life. The practical life area
is particularly emphasized as the activities in this area give children
the chance to develop skills to care for themselves and their environment
in the following areas: control of movement, and grace and courtesy.
Practical life activities are simple and can be accomplished by
each child. They offer repetitive cycle, which helps the child establish
patterns of order and sequencing. Due to the fact that these are very
real activities, each child becomes grounded in reality. Building
the child's self esteem is the ultimate goal and this is accomplished
through repeated successes with these activities.
|
|
Through song and dance, and freedom of choice,
the toddlers have access to a variety of large muscle activities
that offer them opportunities to jump, climb, balance, crawl, or
skip. These exercises as well as creative art activities are offered
for each child to choose. This freedom in a safe space is crucial
to the toddler program.
|
 |
|
|
The
Montessori classroom is a "living room" for children.
Children choose their activities from open shelves with self-correcting
materials and work in distinct work areas - on tables or on rugs
on the floor. Over a period of time, the children develop into a
"normalized community", working with high concentration
and few interruptions. The classroom includes the following components:
|
|
The
practical life exercises enhance the development of task organization
and cognitive order through care of self, care of the environment,
exercises of grace and courtesy, and refinement of physical movement
and coordination. The sensorial materials enable the child to order,
classify, seriate, and describe sensory impressions in relation,
length, width, temperature, mass, color, etc. The Montessori math
materials allow the child to internalize the concepts of numbers,
symbols, sequences, operations, and memorization of basic facts.
|
|
The
language work includes oral language development, written expression,
reading, grammar, creative dramatics, and children's literature.
Basic skills in writing and reading are developed through the use
of sandpaper letters (loose alphabet letters), and various presentations
allowing children to effortlessly link sounds and symbols, and to
express their thoughts in writing.
|
|
The
child is also presented with geography, history, life sciences,
music, art, and movement education.
|
 |
|
|
|