montessori materials

Montessori also found that children, from early in the first year of life, pass through a series of "sensitive periods where they are absorbed" when they are absorbed in one element of their environment with an intense desire to explore that aspect, often repeating many times actions related to that interest until this leads into the next phase. Grasping the opportunities for development in each "sensitive period" is most important.

Consequently, the Montessori classroom is devised as a total environment to aid the child's development into a fully integrated and montessori materials independent individual, with areas which cater for all the "sensitive periods" which appear in the age range of the classroom. This classroom is composed of three essential parts: the child, the prepared environment and montessori materials the director/directress.

The child teaches himself/herself using especially designed Montessori equipment, which is attractive and montessori materials self-correcting. In this classroom the teacher is known as a director/directress, as he/she acts as a guide and montessori materials facilitator, demonstrating new activities and montessori materials pieces of equipment to individual children or small groups. In a child-centered classroom, with each child working at their own pace, the director/directress also observes and montessori materials monitors their progress to assist and montessori materials encourage their activities and montessori materials interests.

The Montessori classroom is non-competitive and montessori materials , because a child may choose his/her own activities and montessori materials do them at his/her own pace, the child has many opportunities for success and montessori materials is able to build a positive self-image.

The pre-school programme is designed to cover an important three-year development span of the child. Between the age of three and montessori materials six years this development is characterised by increasing abilities to explore the environment. During the first year the child is introduced primarily to the practical life and montessori materials sensorial apparatus. These refine skills and montessori materials help the child function in the classroom and montessori materials at home. Further work in these areas helps prepare the child for concepts and montessori materials co-ordination needed for maths and montessori materials language work.

The third year is the culmination of the programme with the previous two years preparing the child for creative and montessori materials meaningful exploration and montessori materials progress in many areas. Often it appears to parents that the child develops greatly in the first year of the programme but outwardly shows little progress in the second year. Yet these first two years are laying the foundations. Many of the benefits of the Montessori approach are only truly seen in the third year when concepts and montessori materials skills come to fruition and montessori materials the love of learning becomes a real part of the child.

Socially, in the third year, the opportunity exists for the child to develop leadership qualities, self-confidence, caring attitudes towards others and montessori materials a sense of responsibility as he/she interacts with the younger children and montessori materials in his/her own social group of the older children.