Dr. Montessori believed that education should fit the child's
stage of development. Young children from three to six have particular
sensitivities to specific areas of learning at definite times. Children
from six to twelve have particular characteristics which lead them to
learn about different areas. The Montessori curriculum follows a
definite plan that takes into account these sensitivities and
characteristics.
Each Montessori classroom includes specially
designed materials and equipment that enable children to work
independently. Children learn responsibility by the real life practice
of properly using and returning the materials to the shelves ready for
the next person.
For young children, ages 3 - 6, the main areas
of work include: practical life, sensorial, language and math as well as
work in the areas of geography, biology, art and music. Examples of
practical life exercises are zipping, tying, pouring, sweeping, flower
arranging and table scrubbing. These exercises are designed not only to
teach the children to care for themselves, but also to help them learn
how to sequence an activity, to keep order in their work, and to put it
away ready for the next child to use. The sensorial exercises help
children to refine their senses and to give names to their experiences,
such as tallest, bitter, sphere and maroon. The sensorial materials
include the bells, which help the children learn musical tones. In the
language area children learn to hear individual sounds in words, along
with seeing and feeling these sounds by using letters cut from sandpaper
and mounted on boards. They learn these sounds can be put together to
form words. The foundation of the math work is the "golden bead"
material. The children count these beads and learn how they group into
units, tens, hundreds and even thousands.
Children from six to
twelve undergo a very definite change. They become more social and peer
oriented. They want to find out how and why. These children now are
given many lessons in the form of stories. These stories are based on
fact but told with a sense of wonder to fire the imaginations of the
children. Some stories set the whole stage, such as the one about the
formation of the universe. Others tell about natural laws such as how
wind is created. After listening to these stories, the children are
guided to do their own research and find out more about the subject.
They often work in groups, stimulating each other by sharing
information.
Language work continues, but now the children
explore grammar and sentence structure. Spelling rules are given in the
light of the history of the English language. The math work branches out
so that the children are using concrete materials to explore fractions,
algebra, squaring, geometry and more. The teacher gives lessons to keep
the children interested in learning, observes the children so their
needs can be met and guides the children in their choices. The
Montessori program at Tobin is aligned with the Common Core State
Standards and the requirements of Cambridge Public Schools.
The
children at Tobin Montessori School are assessed in Math and Literacy by
Cambridge Public Schools assessments, observations of the teachers and
the administration of MCAS beginning in the 3rd grade.