What is Montessori?
What is Montessori?
Montessori is a system of education that is both a philosophy of child development and a methodology of guiding each child’s development to its full potential.
What are its premises?
• Each child is to be respected as a unique individual.
• Each child possesses an unusual sensitivity and intellectual ability to absorb and learn from his/her environment.
• Each child has a deep love and need for purposeful work. It is through this that he/she develops his/her mental, physical and psychological powers.
What is the curriculum scope and sequence?
- EARLY CHILDHOOD
The Early Childhood program is for students in PK-3, PK-4, and K. Multi-age grouping allows students to build strong connections with their peers, encourages learning collaboration, and allows older children to reinforce their knowledge by guiding younger students. The classroom community is as essential for the child’s development as the materials. The didactic Montessori materials intentionally increase in complexity to scaffold and refine new skills, order, coordination, concentration, and independence in the following subject areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Math, Language, Science, and Culture. After the initial lesson is provided by the teacher, students independently practice in a self-paced way. Children are given the freedom to move within their environment; they choose what to work with, where to work, and who they would like to work with. This freedom allows for natural social interactions and self-direction to develop.
- LOWER ELEMENTARY
The Lower Elementary program is for students in 1st-3rd grade and builds on the foundation created in the toddler and primary programs. As children move into the second plane of development, they begin to move down the path of abstraction. While the Elementary classroom still offers many physical manipulatives (especially in the area of mathematics) children begin to mainly use them as a means of double checking their mental intuition. Elementary classrooms provide a rich and diverse environment for the students to continue their academic journey. The cosmic curriculum allows students an opportunity to explore the interconnectedness of all the subject areas, including language, math, science, and culture, as well as the connection between their studies and real-life experiences. Students begin to plan their work goals based on teacher guidelines: the teacher identifies what are the weekly goals while the student chooses when and where to work on the assigned goals. Community meetings are held during which children share acknowledgements, sharing, and questions, comments, and concerns they resolve together.
- UPPER ELEMENTARY
The Upper Elementary program is for students in 4th-6th grade. Social development is a large part of the elementary community and greatly affects academic learning. Because older children are largely focused on their social role and building connections, many activities in the classroom are designed with the idea of group work in mind. This allows students to continue building personal skills while engaging in the development of social skills. Students self-direct their weekly work goals, using their progress from the previous week to fill in and prioritize their goals for the current week based on teacher guidelines. In addition, the teacher identifies the follow-up work after each lesson while the student chooses when and where to work on the assigned goals.
- MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Middle School program is for students in 7th-8th grade. Students plan their work goals in cycles, guided by weekly assignment check-ins, in order to build skills in time management, organization, and self-regulation within an academic context. Daily instruction and independent work cycles prioritize growth in the following subject areas: Math, Language, Science, History, Personal World, and Electives. Students also participate in assignments related to entrepreneurship, internship, and service learning aligned with the Montessori philosophy of valorization, or valorization or realization of one's strength, worth, and capability of effort.
What makes it unique?
• The whole child approach: includes holistic development of social skills, emotional growth, physical coordination and cognition.
• Prepared environment: thoughtfully selected and arranged classroom, materials, social setting, and atmosphere support the child.
• Montessori materials: Dr. Montessori designed a number of multi-sensory sequential, and self-correcting materials to facilitate learning.
• The teacher: designer of the environment, resource person, role model, demonstrator, record keeper, meticulous observer of children.
What are its goals?
• Develop a positive attitude towards school.
• Help each child develop self confidence.
• Assist each child in building the power of concentration, inner discipline, and responsibility.
• Foster intrinsic reward for work.
• Cultivate inner security and sense of order in the child.
In our Montessori School...
• Every lesson is aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) state standards.
• Children follow individual work plans and receive individual lessons during the uninterrupted work cycle.
• Every classroom is beautifully equipped with Montessori materials that engage and stimulate a child’s curiosity and love of learning, drawing each one to develop his/her potential on a joyous journey through self-directed work and thought.
• Follow-up work and lesson extensions allow children to demonstrate their learning.
• Children grow in an environment of mutual respect to become responsible world citizens.
• Children experience a spiraling, connected curriculum founded on Montessori principles.
• School and community work cooperatively, sharing resources and support teachers, assistants, administrators, support staff, parents; everyone shares a vision of educational excellence.