The Montessori Curriculum
Practical Life
Practical Life is the only curriculum which can be found in the Montessori schools as compared to traditional schools where there is no specific daily living skills been taught to the children. The Practical Life activities are specifically designed to teach life skills. They help children to develop sense of order, independence, to enhance children’s control over their movement, concentration as well as introducing social etiquette.
Language
Montessori teaches Phonics by introducing the Sandpaper Letters. The teaching of Language is done progressively starts from The Pink Series, The Blue Series, The Green Series and Early Grammar. Acquisition of Language not only done through subjects but also through varieties of activities in the prepared environment. The area of Practical Life, Sensorial and Cultural assist in providing the child specific language vocabulary, the activities of Grace and Courtesy help the child feel comfortable in the environment and to express their thoughts confidently.
Sensorial
Young children interact with the physical world through their senses. Sensorial education allows children to refine their senses ; sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch through various well-designed Montessori materials. The Sensorial materials and activities present qualities such as colour, form, dimension and shapes which helps the child to analyse, classify and compare these qualities.The Sensorial activities also serve indirect preparation for later work in Language, Mathematics and Science.
Mathematics
Montessori Curriculum is inter-related. Mathematics is introduced using various materials from concrete to abstract. Children learn numbers by tracing the Sandpapers Numbers, the concept of quantity and the corresponding written symbols. The children will also be introduced the four operations in Mathematics such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Montessori children able to read and solve up to 4-digit problems by using the Montessori materials before going for abstract.
Cultural
Montessori cultural studies are a key component of the Montessori curriculum, aimed at helping children understand the world around them and their place in it. These studies encompass a broad range of subjects, often integrated together, including:
Geography : Learning about the physical world, maps, continents, countries, and cultures.
Botany : Learning about the basic of biology that deals with the study of plants.
History : Understanding time, timelines, and the concept of history.
Science : Children engage in hands-on activities to understand scientific principles and the natural world.
Cultural Awareness : Learning about different cultures, traditions, languages, and ways of life. This fosters respect, understanding, and appreciation for diversity.
Mandarin
As we are a Bilingual pre-school, we strive to prepare the children to achieve full bilingualism—understanding, speaking, writing and reading—in their two languages. There will be two days full Mandarin lesson; Tuesday and Thursday. Teachers will be conversing with them in Mandarin; they are singing Chinese songs and reading Chinese stories during circle time; they are introduced to Chinese culture, from big celebrations like the Chinese New Year and practical life activities in the classroom. Because all interactions are in Mandarin, even children who do not know any Mandarin pick up the language and learn to not just understand, but also in communicating. Our Chinese literacy curriculum is based on Simplified Chinese characters concurrent with our National Schools system.