Our Curriculum
Love. Challenge. Succeed.
Dr. Montessori observed that children experience sensitive periods. As students develop naturally absorbed and internalized, Montessori teachers match appropriate lessons and materials to these sensitive periods. We implement all the 8 major areas from Dr. Montessori's theories in our environment as below to help the students fully develop.
Practical Life
Activities in this area provide real life experiences for children which are organized in three main areas: care of the person, care of the environment, grace and courtesy. The purpose and aim of this area is to help the child gain control in the coordination of his movement, and help the child to gain independence and adapt to his society.
Sensorial
Sensorial exercises were designed by Dc. Montessori which covers the senses such as size, shape, composition, texture, loudness or softness, matching, weight, temperature, etc. Montessori believed that sensorial experiences began at birth. Through his senses, the child studies his environment. then begins to understand the world around him. The child, to Montessori, is a “sensorial explorer”.
Mathematics
In a Montessori classroom, learning mathematical concepts begins concretely and progresses towards the abstract. Activities in this area are designed from simple to complex which help the child understand the value of quantity, decimal system, concept and process of operations, skip linear counting, fractions and etc.
Language
Activities in language area are designed on the development of the skills required for oral and written language and reading. In the Montessori environment, vocabulary develops by using specific words for objects in the classroom. At approximately 4.5 years, the children begin to put phonetic sounds together to read short words, and by 5 years of age the amaze their parents with their love of writing and reading.
Geography
The Montessori Geography curriculum consists of physical and cultural geography. Physical geography children learn about the earth's globe, land and water forms such as lake, island, gulf, etc. and enjoy to trace their own maps. Cultural geography is the study of human society and culture. Through this study, children learn that we are all members of the human race who must co-exist peacefully.
History
Activities in this area help children understand the passage of time. They learn the concepts of time measurement with timing devices for 1 minute, 2 minutes, to 1 hour. They also learn the clock, days of week, months of year, calendar, and personal timeline with our materials. The information in regards to history is given during some of the exercises such as the flag stories of the country, fossils, earth timeline, human history and etc.
Art
In this area, we offer the child the materials for his own personal experience. Children gain the skills to express their feelings with crayons, watercolors, clay modeling, collage gluing and etc. From these materials and exercises, the child will have different sensorial stimulations and learn the art of his own culture, and can be provided with the materials to create his own art.
Music
In Montessori classroom, music is a natural part of our daily routine in the form of rhythm, instruments, dancing, singing and finger plays. Music is a means of communication and self-expression. In our classroom, children enjoy a lot of fun with kinds of instruments, miscellaneous songs/poems, body movements and etc.
Physical Education
Maria Montessori said: “Movement, or physical activity, is thus an essential factor in intellectual growth. Through movement we come in contact with external reality, and it is through these contacts that we eventually acquire even abstract ideas.”
Young children are mean to "move". Shamrock Montessori provides environments for movement. From gross motor work in the classroom to music with movement to running on the playground, children can engage in physical activity throughout the day, promoting emotional growth and intellectual growth.
Science
Science is all around our life. Young children interact with the natural world everywhere they go. They love to explore and learn how to observe patiently, analyze, work out each problem. They learn about living/non-living and plant/animal. They learn the “parts” of animals from the insect to the mammal……Our hands-on science materials are the joy of learning for children.
