Montessori Curriculum

The primary Goal of Bryson Christian Montessori program is to help each child reach full potential in all areas of life. Activities promote the development of social skills, emotional growth, and physical coordination, as well as cognitive preperation. The holistic curriculum, under the direction of a specially prepared teacher, allows the child to experience the joy of learning, time to enjoy the process and insure the development of self-esteem, and provides the experiences from which children create their knowledge.

Practical Life:  The practical life activities are the first activities the child is introduced to in the Montessori environment. This is because they can immediately begin to satisfy the young child's inner desire for skills and self sufficiency. These include manipulative skills, self development, and care of the environment. Such activities as pouring, sweeping, polishing silver, mopping, caring for plants, and animals, and the use of good manners are among the many practical life activities. The child conducts these activities for the sake of working through the processes rather than for the sake of the results.

Sensorial: The primary purpose of these activities is to help the child sort out the many and varied impressions given by the senses. The sensorial materials isolates one defining quality such as color, weight, shape, texture, size, sound, smell, taste, and vision. The child is able to distinguish, categorize, and relate new information to what is already known. The color tablets, brown stair knob and knobless cylinders, pink tower, rough/smooth boards, and geometric shapes are some of the materials used in this area.

Language: The purpose of these activities is to cultivate writing and reading. The sand paper letters, moveable alphabet, the object box, metal insets, and labeling the environment all serve to prepare the child for the life long task of communicating. The alphabet is learned phonetically.

Mathematics & Numerical Skills: The child begins by learning to put quantities with the numbers- such as with the spindle box, numbers and counters, and number rods. The child advances to the decimal system by using the golden beads and moves to addition, multiplication, and division at his or her own pace.

Geography, Science, & Cultural Activities: To launch the child's exploration of the world's physical environment, the simple distinction of land versus water is made using the land and water globe. The child is then introduced to the map of his/her own community and home continent. The puzzle maps of all the continents and world follow. This knowledge is expanded as the child learns of the people of the world and their unique cultures with varied customs of dress and food. The child learns the basics of planting through gardening and develops an appreciation for the environment by recycling and composting. Some of the science experiments are performed throughout the year.

Other Activities: These activities might include unique experiences of children including current events, and special small groups or entire class projects.