The Montessori Method and NAMC Curriculum

Young children are constantly learning from all of their experiences. They are natural learners with amazing potential! Building upon the children’s existing interests and motivations, teachers plan a wide range of learning experiences. We nurture their curiosity, help them to understand the world, and develop positive feelings towards learning.

An important key in the Montessori educational method is the prepared environment. The idea behind this is that the teacher prepares activities for which children are both interested in and developmentally ready for. Children are only allowed to work with these activities after they have been provided with a personal or group demonstration of the correct way to use the materials. Children are also taught the full process of completing an activity from beginning to end, starting with set up, progressing through the work, and cleaning up and putting everything back as they had found it.

At the early childhood level, we begin with the Practical Life activities to help children develop their gross and fine motor skills, focus and concentration, and sense of order. Used in this curriculum are primarily household materials children may already be familiar with, such as bowls, sponges, brooms, and cooking utensils. As they master these activities, children are then introduced to materials in the Sensorial and Language curriculum, followed by Culture and Science, and finally Mathematics. Activities are arranged on shelves in order of complexity, top to bottom and left to right, which is a foundation for reading and writing in the English language. As children demonstrate ability to work with the materials in a respectful and independent way, they are provided freedom to choose their own work. In a Montessori classroom, the focus is on child-led learning in a respectful and disciplined learning environment.

Another key aspect of Montessori philosophy is observation. Throughout each day, the teacher will carefully observe and take notes concerning the work of each child, utilizing a prepared NAMC Mastery Checklist to determine the child’s progress in the activities he or she chooses to work on. The teacher uses these observational notes to provide support for the child, including changing activities offered if the child seems to be struggling or losing interest. A summary report of the child’s progress is provided to parents in a quarterly parent-teacher conference.

Since the Montessori philosophy prescribes a child-led instructional format, teacher-led instruction is kept to a minimum. It is limited to a brief circle time in the beginning and/or closing of the day. During this time, the teacher may work on the calendar, hold a class discussion, model or reinforce a specific behavior, introduce songs, or teach a short grace and courtesy lesson. The majority of time is reserved for independent work, followed by outdoor time, lunch, and closing/pick up.