Preschool and Kindergarten Programs

Words are the labels for our experiences. A child who has varied experiences and is given labels for those experiences will develop a well-rounded means of expression. Just as a rich vocabulary is dependent on the child's experiences, the transition to reading and writing is dependent on a strong vocabulary. To be sure the "label" remains associated, games such as, "Bring me the..., " and "Put the ...on the table," are used. Soon the child, "explorer of the world," will be able to express thoughts and understand and interpret the thoughts of others.

In mathematics, as in every other area, the child moves from the concrete to the abstract. The developing child yearns to organize and classify. Fortunately the whole world obliges with toes and fingers to count, temperatures to read, rain to gauge, and clocks to check. In the Montessori math lessons, the child is presented with quantity, then the symbol (sandpaper numbers) and later the two are combined. Only by internalizing the knowledge concretely are they led to the abstract. 

Sensorial awareness (smelling, seeing, feeling, tasting, hearing) and the ordering of that awareness is basic to the "sense of wonder" approach to living. By the careful selection of items of different textures, colors, sizes, and geometric shapes, children discover relationships and exclaim, "This bolt is a hexagon!" "This cloth is rough." "These cymbals are loud!" Sensorial experiences indirectly prepare children for future exploration of language, mathematics and geometry, art, and music.

The exercises in Practical Life provide the foundation for all other activities in the Montessori classroom, fulfilling the child's plea, "Help me to do it myself!" Through exercises in daily living (buttoning, tying, pouring, sweeping, opening and closing jars) the child gains confidence and mastery of the environment. These activities contribute to the control and coordination of movement, development of concentration skills, and the self-esteem.