THE MONTESSORI APPROACH

The Montessori approach to education is unique in that it strives to inculcate a deeper appreciation for what is being learned. The primary curriculum aims to train the child's mind and create a firm foundation to investigate truth, to foster creativity, and to make learning a natural and enjoyable part of life. The greatest power of the human mind is the gift of understanding and the primary classroom is a prepared environment that facilitates the child's purposeful and independent search into the nature of our spiritual, social, and physical reality.
Montessori created the primary curriculum for children 3 to 6 years old after years of observation and work with children of all ages.

The primary curriculum specifically aims to address the child's needs at this age with a vision of the whole child. The child's experiences from birth to six become an inseparable part of his or her character, and are the foundation for the child's independent action and reflection in the future. The primary classroom includes six general curriculum areas: practical life, sensorial, mathematics, language, culture and moral education; each of which is presented to the child gradually and according to his or her needs and capacities.

These areas address what Montessori termed "sensitive periods," or periods in the child's life which other scientists and educators have also referred to as particularly important times in the child's growing awareness. These sensitive periods include the child's need for movement, sensorial exploration, language, order and moral guidance.

The child's natural attraction to beauty, and an almost insatiable thirst for practical knowledge, can make childhood a time of great joy and discovery when the environment meets the child's needs. The child's interaction with peers, the classroom materials, and the adults in the environment, are all sources of encouragement that could spark the child's interest and grow into a flame of understanding that lasts a lifetime.