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The Montessori Curriculum
After careful observation of the children in her care, Maria Montessori selected the subjects to be included and the way in which these were presented to the children by the Directress. The principles on which she made decisions were consistent with other progressive educationalists. The major features were:
The approach is child centred, where the individual child himself is the focus of education Education should promote natural growth It should take account of the child’s growth The approach is to give the child experiences from which to learn The child’s spiritual nature should be protected
The environment is planned to provide the kind of activities selected by the educator as being appropriate for the child so that the child can learn and discover for himself rather than having a body of knowledge imposed by the teacher
What to look for in a good Montessori School
- The children are calm and ordered, purposefully involved in a self-chosen activity
- The children are predominantly preoccupied with individual activities
- The children experience a high level of independence
- The classroom is ordered, tidy and attractive
- All the elements are child-sized and within easy reach of all the children
- There is a selection of educational materials arranged in the following curriculum areas:
- Practical Life
Sensorial Language Maths - Culture
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