St. Mark Christian Montessori Preschool

Montessori-based Curriculum

St. Mark Christian Montessori Preschool adheres to the Montessori philosophy of education. This method is an exciting approach to learning named after Dr. Maria Montessori, a visionary Italian anthropologist and physician. She designed a system of education in 1907 that is now implemented on five continents and has proven to be effective across cultural and socioeconomic boundaries.

In the Montessori classroom, children in mixed age groups are allowed freedom within limits. The program adopts an individualized approach in teaching each child according to his/her pace. The Montessori classroom encourages the development of:

Respect for others and the environment

Self esteem and self-confidence

Self-discipline

Coordination

Independence

Social skills

Emotional growth

What is the Montessori Curriculum?

The curriculum starts with simple tasks to develop the child's gross and fine motor skills in the practical life area.

At the next level, the sensorial level, the child learns to categorize and sort materials and develop his vocabulary.

The language area is built on phonetics where the teacher introduces the sounds of letters to three and four year old children, and they learn by touching and tracing the sandpaper letters.

The math area starts by introducing the concrete then the abstract, the beads or rods then the sandpaper numerals.

In social studies, children are taught the different continents through puzzle maps, and they learn the different cultures of different countries.

In science, children are taught the concept of living, non living, parts of a tree, flower and plant.

In the art area, children are left to their creative ability to cut, glue and paint pictures, and sometimes craft projects are done as a group.

At the end of three year cycle, the child is able to read and write and is ready to be placed in the advanced group as a first grader.

The Montessori Method

The Montessori method of education was started by Dr. Maria Montessori, the first female physician in Italy in the early twentieth century. She based her theories on her scientific observation of children, and said that the most important period of life is the stage from birth to age six years old. This period is called the sensitive period, and the child has an absorbent mind which absorbs everything in the environment. When we prepare an appealing environment with exciting materials, the child will be curious to learn and will be motivated to discover the skill behind that material. She recognized that self-motivation is the only valid impulse for children to learn.

Her dynamic theories included that children are to respected as different from adults, and as different form one another. Each child is unique and learns at his own pace in a homelike setting called "a children's house". Therefore, it is an individualized approach where each child learns at his or her own pace.

Also, there is freedom to choose within limits of discipline and order.
She believed that there is "a spiritual embryo" inside each child which should be nurtured, especially during the first stage of development, to be connected with the Creator.