The Montessori Primary Curriculum offers five key areas of study: Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language and Culture in the Primary section. Each learning section is made up of a set of Montessori  materials that each teach one key knowledge area or skill. The materials increase in complexity as the children progress through the Montessori curriculum at their own pace based on their stage of development and interests. 

 Montessori educators present key lessons to introduce children to the name and learning outcomes of each Montessori material. After a Key Lesson, the children work with the Montessori materials independently to practice, explore, and make connections to the key learning outcomes.

During this time, the duty of the Montessori educator is to stand back and observe how the children are learning and to document their progress. An educator will only intervene if needed, to encourage children’s independence, as there is a direct link between children’s sense of empowerment and their ability to  learn and retain new skills and information. Through repetition and practice, children develop foundational understanding of each material and master the core competencies within each curriculum area.

The Five Areas of the Montessori Curriculum

Practical Life

The Montessori Practical Life Curriculum incorporates exercises and activities that children observe in daily life. These activities develop children’s independence, concentration and fine motor skills. Examples: spooning, sweeping, threading, lessons in grace and courtesy etc.

Sensorial

Sensorial activities teach children to refine their senses of sight, touch, sound, smell and taste so that they are able to organise sensory impressions and their understanding of the world. Through the sensorial materials, children learn about similarity and difference, dimensions, colours and shapes, and distinguish between smells, taste and sound. The work here also prepares children for mathematics, language and geometry by teaching them how to classify and sort.

Mathematics

 The Mathematics Curriculum teaches children to understand abstract mathematical concepts and relationships through hands-on learning experiences. Children learn to count, identify and match numerals to their quantity, relate decimal symbols and quantities and become aware of the functions of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division by using the Montessori materials.

Language

The Montessori Language Curriculum provides children with the knowledge and skills to build their vocabulary and understanding of language. The skills for reading, writing and oral language are developed through hands-on experience using the Montessori language materials. Children learn letter sounds (phonics), letter identification and formation, how to combine sounds to make words, how to build simple sentences, and how to properly hold a pencil. Oral language skills are developed through daily social interactions, group time experiences and lessons in grace and courtesy. 

Culture

The Culture Curriculum incorporates a wide range of subjects, including: Botany, Geography, Zoology, Science, History, Music and Art. Through explorations of culture, children develop an understanding of their community, their world and their social responsibilities. Children learn to respond to diversity with respect and develop awareness of sustainability.

Although a Montessori School, we also incorporate other subject areas to maintain an equilibrium between our method and the State’s curriculum. This gives the pupils a broader perspective of events around them. 

‘For parents who invest in a Montessori education at the earliest years, you have gifted your child the key to helping your child develop a joy of learning and having a well-rounded education.