Primary

There are four main components to a Montessori preschool classroom: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language and, Mathematics. In the practical life area, children can choose from activities such as preparing snacks for themselves and others, laying and clearing the table, and cleaning up. They learn, with adult guidance, to use child-sized tools, including knives and glassware, safely and effectively. In the sensorial area children fine-tune perception, discrimination and judgement leading to a foundation for abstract thinking and creative expression. In the language and mathematics areas children are introduced to literacy and numeracy skills. As they work through the language activities, children extend emergent and beginning literacy skills leading to fluency in both writing and reading. Mathematics activities lead children from early counting and matching experiences towards increasing understanding of number patterns, the four operations, number facts and two- and three-dimensional shapes.

Incorporated into the curriculum are materials, activities and exercises that introduce children to visual arts, music, physical education, science, geography, and history. Montessori educators sometimes say that Primary is designed to bring the world to the child. For example, children listen to stories and learn songs and dances from their own country and around the world. They also work with globes, maps, land and water forms and collections of pictures of life in different cultures. Cultural studies of this type are interspersed within the main learning areas, particularly within the sensorial and language activities. Classroom visual art activities include drawing, painting, design work, collage, printing, flower arranging, sewing and handiwork, modelling with clay, colour mixing, art appreciation cards, wall pictures and stories.