The Preschool Curriculum
Practical Life
A young child luxuriates in the abundance of practical life exercises because they enable
him to function confidently and completely in the activities of his everyday life. The desire to imitate adults is satisfied
with items especially scaled to his size.
The child is attracted to the things that give him independence and control of his life.
Industriously, he sweeps, dusts, and polishes.
There are exercises for washing, pouring, and gardening. He is able to methodically
master all of the skills he needs for independence.
The delight for the child is in the doing. While he is enthralled with each exercise,
he is developing his concentration, his attention to detail and his coordination of movement. These exercises are the
foundation on which the child approaches all other work.
Sensorial
The myriad of wonderful new sensations surround the children continually. The
sensorial materials activate a child's absorption of these new impressions. They enable him to categorize and organize
the unfamiliar with the familiar. Each piece of material isolates one definite quality of a sense - color, size, weight,
shape, texture, or sound. Each piece of material stimulates extensive vocabulary building. This sensorial basis
is present in many of the academically-oriented materials.
The importance of the sensorial development cannot be overstated. When a child
develops his senses, he not only develops himself but he forms his learning tools.
Language
Your child has learned the oral language naturally. He automatically absorbed
it from his environment. It is the directress who brings these words to life. Games fill the children with a love
of sounds which becomes personalized. The Montessori child begins rreading when he is ready, and proceeds at his own pace. There is great glee when the sound "a" is at long
last graphically represented. It is basis for reading. Utilizing your child's desire to touch, the letters are
cut out and mounted for tracing. He not only hears the sounds and sees its shape, but now into tracing, is able to train
his muscles for tracing.
Mathematics
The world of numbers and their function is presented to your child in the most logical,
understandable and exciting manner. Each mathematical concept has a concrete piece of apparatus to embody it. By manipulating these exquisitely clear materials, your child's understanding gains substance. This concrete
quality allows him to progress to the realm of fractions and geometry. Mathematics becomes not terrifying, but a vibrant
and inviting new dimension.
Geography
The study of geography includes the use of globes, puzzle
maps, flags, picture folders, books and stories.
Science
The children conduct and observe various experiments with
simple equipment. They learn to identify and classify. The preschool curriculum includes work in zoology, biology, and
botany.
Music
Through the use of a special apparatus, the children learn
the notes of the scale and to match and grade them by ear. From this point, they may progress to the composition of simple
melodies. They are introduced to famous composers and to
the various classifications of musical instruments
Art
Art is an important part of all life. It is the expression
of the spirit of man. Indirect preparation for art is necessary. Movement exercises are essential to gain body control.
Sensorial work with colors, shapes, and textures help prepare the child. Materials which develop the pincer grasp aid
the child in using pencil, crayon, and brush. Work with shape and dimension helps the child with composition, arrangement
and form. Children decorate their math and writing work.
The environment is decorated with copies of well-known
art works. The child learns to cut, glue, and color and moves on into sewing, knitting, weaving, and more complicated projects.
