Academics
The Montessori Method has proven to be effective and influential in educating the child for a new world of technology, where creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving are in high demand.
Some of the characteristics of the Montessori Method:
Children are allowed the freedom to move around the classroom and follow their own interest.- Children work at their own pace
- There is a built-in control of error in most activities, allowing children to correct themselves
- Multi-age grouping, allowing the older children to lead the younger ones.
- Teacher is a guide and acts as a link between the child and the environment
The curriculum is categorized under the following areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language, and Cultural Studies.
Practical Life
Practical Life is considered the foundation of the Scribbles curriculum. The fundamental tools for learning (concentration, organization, coordination and independence) are established as the child learns he simple tasks involved with the care of themselves such as buttoning and bow tying, and care of the environment in dish washing and silver polishing, and courtesies such as “please”and “thank you.”
Sensorial
Sensorial refines the senses. This is the time in the child’s life when information is received by the child through the senses; therefore, the need to develop and refine the senses is particularly important. The children match and grade colors, shapes and sizes. Textures, sounds and tastes are also matched and graded. Concentration, organization, coordination and independence established in the Practical Life materials are further developed with the Sensorial materials.
Language
Language is broadly organized into the categories of listening, speaking, writing and reading. At Scribbles Montessori, there is an emphasis on precise usage of language so that the child hears a clear model of the English language. The names of colors, shapes and sizes are reinforced. The child is encouraged to speak in complete sentences. In the reading process, a phonics approach to reading is utilized, which assigns the sound to the letter. When the child knows a certain number of sounds, the letters are placed together to form words that the child can sound out, blending the sounds to read the word. With a movable alphabet, the child forms words and then reads the words.
Math
The children learn the numerals and the quantity that goes with the numerals. They begin with 1-10 and then quickly proceed to 100. Simple addition is introduced along with an introduction to the base ten system: units, tens, hundreds and thousands.
