Shalom Montessori

Between the ages of 3-6, children enter a period of what Dr. Montessori called conscious absorption. Although they are still very much absorbed in their immediate environment, children at this stage start to focus inward, become aware of choices they can make, and want to make these choices. They are attracted to things that allow this self-awareness to develop and very susceptible to imitating presented behavior. Remaining with the same teacher for an extended period of time allows teachers to know their students well, avoids time lost each year in assessing students' levels of achievement and gives students stability as they progress through the curriculum.

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The typical Montessori primary class is divided into the following main sections, practical life, sensory, language, math, music, art, geography and science. At Shalom Montessori we have an additional section called Jewish Lifestyles and our language section encorporates Hebrew. In addition to these main areas the primary class covers French, Spanish, Russian, Hungarian, tai chi and yoga. Materials are tailor-made to each child's specific interests to instill a love for learning.

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Practical life is designed to invite the young learner to act and work on real life tasks that foster independence, coordination, order and concentration. It is in a sense the doorway to the Montessori curriculum. This is the area where the child may first choose independent work. The practical life area contains many attractively displayed object familiar to the child, including a variety of items commonly used in the tasks of daily living, like eating dressing and cleaning.They offer the child meaningful, non-threatening modes of activity. The materials are also carefully designed and demonstrated to help teach skills involved with caring for the environment and the self, to encourage responsibility, autonomy and to promote high self-esteem.

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Dr. Montessori saw the senses as the "doorway to the mind." She considered sensory and manipulation not only an aid to the development of maturing sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin) but a starting point for the intellectual growth. she believed that by helping children to order, compare and classify sensory stimulation, their intellectual development would be greatly assisted and future learning would be more meaningful and useful. The basic sensorial exercise inspires careful observation and calls attention to specific qualities requiring identification of similarities and contrasts. The mind must judge, compare, classify and draw conclusions. These exercises tend to fascinate children because they are difficult enough to represent a real and meaningful challenge. They are then better prepared for future learning in math, language, and science and making sense of life's experiences and information in general.

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The language materials are designed for the children to learn a variety of language skills. Language development is a concern of the entire Montessori classroom. Many activities in other areas, as well as with a large group, foster vocabulary development, communication skills, writing and reading readiness.In the language area we will find a large variety of reading readiness materials, including materials for phonetic analysis, word attack skills and reading, as well as materials for the refinement of motor control for writing.In the Montessori Method, writing precedes reading, as the children explore with drawing and forming letters. The process of learning how to read should be as painless and simple as learning how to speak. The child begins by exploring the sounds that compose words and by relating them to the letters of the alphabet. He can soon produce words and sentences free of all other mechanical difficulties. In the meantime he trains his hand to become precise and sure for the writing movements. Reading is prepared indirectly from writing. The child starts from what he knows about the letters and the sounds. We start by introducing letter shapes cut out of sandpaper paired with objects according to the beginning sounds of the names of the objects. The children then build words using the movable alphabet. They continue to progress at their own rate. Handwriting skills are developed through the use of our metal insets, which provide the child with all of the strokes needed to write well in the years to come. This method is used to teach both English and Hebrew. .

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The central purpose of the Math materials in the early years is to lay the foundation for later cognitive development and to prepare for the gradual transition to abstract thinking. The primary value of these earlier activities in mathematics are found in the way they transform ideas into actions on concrete materials. Students who learn math by rote method often have not real understanding or ability to put their skills to use in everyday life. Montessori students use hands-on learning materials that make abstract concepts clear and concrete.The Montessori math curriculum is based on the European tradition of "Unified Math," which has only recently been recognized by leading American educators. Unified Math introduces elementary students to the study of the fundamentals of algebra, geometry, logic and statistics along with the principle of arithmetic. This study continues over the years, weaving together subjects that traditional schools normally ignore until the secondary grades.

Children to benefit from having a variety of art materials available to them at all times and a space to work, uninterrupted, when they are inspired. It is important to teach the child how to use and care for them. Reproductions of great masterpieces, as prints, cards, or in books, inspire an appreciation of beauty at any age. We provide art postcards to sort into groups, such as by artist. Stories about artists, especially as children, are interesting for children. Good art books can engage a child for hours.

The music materials  provide a vehicle for self-expression, self-understanding, self-confidence, creative problem solving and motivation. Chidlren create their own rhythms and incorporate music into other areas of the classroom. 

The greography materials revolve around the needs of humans for such basic things as food, housing, a means of transportation, clothing, and the mental and spiritual needs for work, play, and worship. In the early years children are given concrete examples, stories and pictures of people all over the world, in order to build a foundation in geography and history.  Children learn about physical geography through the use of continent puzzles and works. 

Science is an integral element of the Montessori curriculum. Among other things, it represents a way of life: a clear thinking approach to gathering information and problem solving. The scope of the Montessori science curriculum includes a sound introduction to botany, zoology, chemistry, physics, geology and astronomy. The Montessori approach to science cultivates children's fascination with the universe and helps them develop a lifelong interest in observing nature and discovering more about the world in which we live.

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According to Maria Montessori, "A child's work is to create the person she will become." To carry out this self-construction, children have innate mental powers, but they must be free to use these powers. Children are sensorial explorers, studying every aspect of their culture. We create various works that allows children to explore every aspect of their culture and religion. The Jewish Lifestyle cirruculum covers brachot, parshat hashavuah, chagim v'dinim, derech eretz , Jewish history and various cultural aspects.