The areas of the room
Four kinds of work on the shelves
We use the word Montessori to describe how our rooms are set up and how a morning runs. These are the four areas a child chooses from.
Practical life
Pouring, carrying, sweeping, buttoning and washing up. Children do the real jobs of the house, at their own size.
Sensorial
Blocks, cylinders and colored pieces that children sort, compare and put in order by touch and by sight.
Language
Sound games, picture cards, tracing letters in sand and then on paper with a pencil, and a good many stories read aloud.
Math
Counting with beads and rods, matching a number to a set, and laying work out in order on a mat.
Questions about the approach
What is a work cycle?
A long stretch of the morning with no bell and no group activity, so a child can choose work, begin it, repeat it and put it away. Ours runs from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Guides give short lessons during it, to one or two children at a time.
What does a guide do all morning?
A guide watches first. She notices what a child is drawn to, shows how a piece of work goes when a child is ready, and steps back. The assistant keeps the room running so the guide can stay with the children.
Do you follow a set curriculum?
We follow the rhythm of the room and what each child is ready for. We can show you the shelves and the weekly plan at a tour.
See a work cycle in action
Tours run on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.