Practical Life
The foundation of the Montessori environment

Maria Montessori observed that the first six years of life of a child are the formative years.  During this period, the child becomes a member of his family and culture  and as such, he loves to participate in tasks of daily family life;  the exercises of Practical Life mirror many of these tasks in the classroom setting.  Furthermore, since they are adapted to the children’s size, interest and capabilities, these activities promote the child’s development of control and coordination of movement, order, independence, responsibility and respect.

Sensorial
Images and sensations from the external world

The sensorial materials give the child the opportunity to have different experiences while working with colors, different shapes, sizes, textures, weights, temperature and sounds.  They are mathematically graded and often have a built-in control of error.  This allows the children to acquire the habit of working independently, unafraid of making mistakes while becoming comfortable with the fact that errors are essential to the process of learning.

Mathematics & Geometry
Concrete preparation for abstract concepts

Maria Montessori materialized abstract concepts to make them concrete for the children to understand.  This collection of objects makes the concept of quantity clear; after working many times with this material, the child is prepared for future abstraction.

Language
The basic foundational structure of all human interactions

Language material includes extensive vocabulary, quality literature, sensorial experiences, preparation of the hand for writing, analyzing sounds, and sounds that form words. The material gives the child a strong foundation for the reading and writing process by preparing him first in developing physical, mental and social skills.

• History
• Geography
• Biology
• Physics
• Art
• Music