Materials

Practical Life

The foundation of the Montessori environment

Maria Montessori observed that the first six years of life of a child
are the formative years. During this period, the child becomes a member
of his family and culture and as such, he loves to participate in tasks
of daily family life; the exercises of Practical Life mirror many of these
tasks in the classroom setting. Furthermore, since they are adapted to
the children’s size, interest and capabilities, these activities
promote the child’s development of control and coordination of movement,
order, independence, responsibility and respect.

Sensorial

Images and sensations from the external world

The sensorial materials give the child the opportunity to have different
experiences while working with colors, different shapes, sizes, textures,
weights, temperature and sounds. They are mathematically graded and often
have a built-in control of error. This allows the children to acquire
the habit of working independently, unafraid of making mistakes while
becoming comfortable with the fact that errors are essential to the process
of learning.

Mathematics & Geometry

Concrete preparation for abstract concepts

Maria Montessori materialized abstract concepts to make them concrete for
the children to understand. This collection of objects makes the concept
of quantity clear; after working many times with this material, the child
is prepared for future abstraction.

Language

The basic foundational structure of all human interactions

Language material includes extensive vocabulary, quality literature, sensorial
experiences, preparation of the hand for writing, analyzing sounds, and
sounds that form words. The material gives the child a strong foundation
for the reading and writing process by preparing him first in developing
physical, mental and social skills.