The Montessori cultural curriculum is one of the best parts of the Montessori education philosophy. The curriculum equips all specialized learning areas that make an opportunity for the child to explore the world in the nicest way.
A child can learn about different people and cultures through this curriculum’s subjects and key areas. In addition, they get knowledge of each continent’s physical world of plants and animals.
Anyway, wondering about the subjects and key areas of the Montessori cultural curriculum. Take a look at our below discussion to get a clear concept of what the Montessori curriculum looks like.
Does Montessori Have A Curriculum?
Yes, the Montessori method has a curriculum. It follows a curriculum and has a wide range of subjects like math, history, language, science, botany, zoology, music, and geography. It also offers sensory-based and self-directed academic programs for every child.
The Montessori classroom follows a teaching curriculum that includes all the basic subjects. But they offer it in an integrated approach that combines all the separate curriculum strands.
The Montessori curriculum is a comprehensive teaching method. It is a method that covers all the aspects of a child’s development, both psychological and physical.
In a prepared environment, it offers a curriculum based on some modules for the child of every age, which broadens the ways to become an innovative learner, be respectful, or responsible.
What Is Montessori Cultural Curriculum?
The Montessori cultural curriculum allows the child to learn about our world. It encompasses many cultural subjects like geography, botany, zoology, art & music that offer to explore the world’s different cultures.
The Montessori teaching method is at its best in fostering academic excellence. Following this, Montessori has a standardized culture curriculum that supports the students’ personal interests.
As a part of the Montessori cultural curriculum, subjects like geography, botany, zoology, arts & music are supplementary in this method.
By learning these subjects, the students can learn about the different cultures of the world, its people, landscape, and animals.
Through the Montessori cultural curriculum, the children can explore the curiosity of large and differently worldly ideas.
What Is Montessori School Curriculum?
The Montessori school follows the Montessori method of teaching the students. In a Montessori school, the curriculum for teaching and learning varies from different levels. Supported by many ideal learning environments, levels like preschool, elementary, middle, and high school, the curriculum is on concrete and experiential learning.
The Montessori method is an integrated teaching method. It includes the materials for developing the senses and activities for engaging in practical skills for preschoolers.
At the elementary level, small groups are made in the Montessori method. Here the children can be free to follow up with independent work on their interests and personal responsibility. It includes lessons on mathematics, art, music, history, sciences, etc.
The Montessori program for the middle and higher level is not as developed as for the younger children. But some Montessori schools have extended their program to a higher level.
How Does the Montessori Curriculum Work?
The Montessori method has organized its curriculum into five areas-Practical life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language, and Culture. Each of these five study areas is designed with a set of educational materials. These five areas are organized carefully so that they can help the student orient themselves in the structure of the curriculum.
Montessori Cultural Curriculum pdf
But how do we know about the Montessori Cultural Curriculum? For that, we need to go through a lot. So, we can download a pdf of the curriculum and learn it. If we want to establish a Montessori school, it will greatly help us.
When you are thinking of establishing a Montessori school for your children, there are some things that you need to consider. You need to do your research. You should go with the flow if you are unsure about anything. Start by getting all the resources that you need. Then, you can make a plan to teach your children. Once you have your materials, you can begin your planning.
The Montessori method is a great system. It is based on child development principles. It’s easy for parents and teachers to understand. It takes the child’s natural curiosity as an inspiration to learn. The children learn through play and self-directed discovery. The Montessori philosophy makes learning fun.
The teacher helps the children discover their interests and encourages them to take ownership of their learning. It’s great to be involved with Montessori education because it teaches about life and everything around us. Montessori education will help you develop a strong foundation. It will teach you to think critically and develop your memory.
You can download a very good book in pdf format and go through it:
What Are The Subjects In The Montessori Curriculum?
The Montessori curriculum has five main subjects: math, science, reading, writing, and language. This unique method of Montessori includes these five subjects in their curriculum and allows the children to experience the joy of learning, intellectual, creative, physical, and social development.
Here we’ll discuss the curriculum for the mentioned five subjects of the Montessori method.
Math
Mathematics learning in the Montessori method is concrete learning. Here the instruction is less. So, the students got the chance to correct themselves on their own. It also helps them find their mistakes, much more learning than the traditional method.
Science
The science curriculum of the Montessori method is experiential. Here, the students get little instruction but get the full guidance of the teacher. The Montessori science curriculum focuses on the interdisciplinary method so students can learn and understand independently.
Reading
The reading curriculum in the Montessori method uses the sensitive period between the age of three and five. Because it is the age where the children can learn how to read. Through the sensory activities, the children first learn to read. They use wooden letters to build words and sentences when they have learned some letters. After learning the basics, they start reading books to improve their skills.
Writing
Like the reading method, the student’s writing skills are developed during the child’s sensitive period. It also has no direct instructions. Gradually they learn how to hold a pencil, practice different strokes, and learn to write.
Language
In the Montessori classroom, language use is encouraged very much. They are free to speak with their peers and can talk to teachers a lot.
They are engaged in improving their oral language through games, songs, poems, and stories. The Montessori method provides the materials that can help the students to enrich their vocabulary.
What Are The Five Areas Of Curriculum In Montessori?
In the Montessori curriculum, you will find five key areas of study, including Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language, and Cultural Studies. Every Montessori classroom comprises these five areas of learning.
Besides this, each key area will arrange with all Montessori hands-on materials. That will ensure the highest progress of the child through this curriculum.
Learn about Montessori key curriculum areas in detail.
Practical Life
Montessori practical life exercises are essential factors in Montessori learning. These activities help to develop independence, coordination, concentration, self-control, self-awareness, and confidence in the student. Practical tasks are not less important than academic ones. But it is an effective way to learn how to interact with their environment.
Sensorial
Through the Montessori sensorial activities, the students can develop the ability to learn to adapt to their environment. This key area of the Montessori curriculum is designed with the manipulation of specifically designed materials that isolate qualities.
Sensorial activities allow the child to refine their sight, touch, smell, taste, sound, and stereognosis senses.
Mathematics
The mathematics area of the Montessori classroom is arranged with hands-on materials like number rods, sandpaper numbers, spindle boxes, puzzle maps, number tiles, number boards, and games.
Each exercise builds upon another, and the student can move from concrete to abstract areas. Like place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and fractions.
Language
The language area of Montessori is arranged with language materials such as sandpaper letters to the moveable alphabet. Here you will also get storybooks, paper and writing implements, and other objects.
The core intention of the language area is to develop a child’s listening skills, comprehension, and vocabulary.
Culture
The cultural area of the Montessori classroom expands with geography, zoology, science, botany, history, art, and music. The area is arranged with lots of geographical material, which assists a child in learning about the world.
When they learn about nature and continuously change in the forms of the season helps the child to establish a cycle of time. Cultural exercises also explore their child’s culture and let them learn their own significance.
Is Montessori Culturally Responsive?
From the words of a new study, Montessori is a culturally responsive pedagogy. A Montessori classroom is a reflection of culturally responsive learning communities.
Culturally responsive teaching is such an approach that imparts knowledge and skills to the students through cultural referents. Through this, the students can develop their fragile sparks of curiosity, creativity, and intelligence.
The Montessori method is one multi-cultural teaching procedure in which the curriculum is enriched with culturally responsive factors. It is the best reflection of the world to the student; through this pedagogy, he/she increases his/her knowledge about the world in depth.
After about 100 years, the Montessori schools have gained enough reputation globally. The methods are now thriving daily using new modern pedagogical ideas. Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) is one of them.
In the Montessori classroom, you will find a crucial area name culture. The material used in the cultural area provides the student with initial exposure to the knowledge they will encounter throughout life.
It will help a child to develop curiosity in learning about the world, history, science, nature, and all the culture.
What are the 8 principles of Montessori?
While analyzing the Montessori education, Angeline S. Lillard, Ph.D., professor at the University of Virginia, discovered eight basic principles of Montessori methods. The principles will be enough to give you the best idea about the benefit of Montessori.
Have a glimpse of those valuable principles Adapted from Lillard, A. S.’s book Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius.
Movement and Cognition
From Angeline S. Lillard’s words, movement and cognition greatly impact a child’s learning. Both are intertwined. A child can enhance his/her thinking and learning ability through physical movement.
Choice
If a student gets complete freedom to choose their work, it will be enough to promote his contentment in the learning process. Montessori educators concentrate more on the child’s choice and perception of control.
Interest
Indeed, pupils learn faster when they are interested while learning a specific topic. Montessori education focuses on the fact that the student has a high interest.
Then it gives the freedom to learn the topic as his/her preference. Here the educators will assist the student with research that facilitates projects.
Extrinsic Rewards & Intrinsic Motivations
Student always gets encouragement to study more when they are intrinsically motivated. Plus, the extrinsic rewards to an activity motivate one to engage in that activity, but it impacts negatively.
Intrinsic motivation has a long-lasting impact. It is enough to multiply the development of the child.
Collaborative Learning
Montessori classrooms are arranged with multi-aged children. It has a very good side. Student gets a chance to collaborative learning.
Younger students observe the older students working process, and the older ones can act as leaders and mentors for them.
Learning In Context
Learning through meaning context is far better and more effective than abstract context. Montessori materials allow the student to that meaning contextual learning.
Thus students can get a clear idea about each of the concepts, which will also assist in developing the critical thinking process.
Adult Interaction
The Montessori educator tries to facilitate learning in the best way. Responsive teaching is associated with good outcomes for the students.
Thus teachers need to focus on interacting with the student on one topic for a longer time to get the best learn from it.
Order in the Environment
The Montessori classroom should be arranged in good order. Only a calm and orderly environment will promote mental order, which is beneficial for a child’s development.
Montessori Education VS Traditional Education
Montessori education is far different compared to traditional education from several perspectives. From the environment to the learning method, curriculum, and child care, many points differentiate a Montessori education from a traditional one.
If you are confused about which system your child will thrive, study our below-assigned comparison table to clarify the idea.
Montessori Education
- From Montessori approaches, students will learn in several ways based on each potential.
- Montessori education encourages students to learn from themselves.
- In Montessori methods, you will find student-centered lessons and activities
- In Montessori classes, there is no time limit, and students learn lessons as long as they need.
- Montessori teachers teach students as the need of each child.
- Montessori education assumes each student’s self-esteem from the reward of his or her accomplishments.
- The Montessori education curriculum is not predetermined, and teachers prepare the lesson by taking care of each student’s interests and levels of understanding .
- In Montessori education methods, educators focus on the child’s overall development.
- Montessori education emphasizes on social, intellectual, emotional, as well as academic skills of the student.
Traditional Education
- In a traditional school, all the students learn any topic the same way.
- Students must follow the same lessons and learn passively in traditional education.
- In the case of traditional education, the curriculum is set focusing on teacher-centered activities.
- There are strict time regulations which all students have to follow in the traditional school.
- But in the traditional school, teachers must deliver the lesson in the same order to all the students.
- In the traditional method, it is thought that students will get self-esteem from the judgment of her or their activity.
- In every traditional school, each lesson is predetermined. Here, teachers cannot change or modify the syllabus. They have to follow it.
- Traditional educational methods focus on the curriculum at hand
- The traditional school emphasizes the academic development of the student.
FAQs
How does Montessori teach culture?
Montessori culture area is an exposure of the word. The area organizes with such materials, exposing different climates, homes, clothing, food, and customs of different countries. This enables a student to learn about their cultures in an easy way.
What are the main principles of Montessori?
What type of child thrives in Montessori?
Wrapping Thoughts
Well!! That’s all we have about the Montessori cultural curriculum. A child can improve their ability to learn, gain new skills, and know unknown facts through this curriculum base.
The subjects and key areas of the curriculum are the greatest way to lead a child to the next level of progress. So, if you are considering sending your child to Montessori preschool, it will be one of your great decisions.