Basic to the Montessori Philosophy is a deep respect for children’s innate capabilities and potential to develop themselves. In a classroom designed for the child, these capabilities blossom as children seek to direct their movement in purposeful activity, working towards perfection without external correction and prodding.
School in this case is a very special learning environment where the learning objects and materials are all to scale. Furniture, trays on which objects are carried and mats they sit on are all child size. All activities foster concentration and independence.
Children’s House introduces children to a wide range of sensorial materials with which they explore the world; for example sandpaper tablets giving the experience of rough, rougher, roughest; a tower of cubes to demonstrate volume. These and other materials help the child to develop a sound base for learning through the use of language and mathematical materials which are introduced later.
Curriculum areas in this cycle are Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Maths and Culture. Each of these has specific hands-on activities and provide a foundation for future semi-abstract and abstract learning experiences in later cycles.
