At Alderley Day Nursery our aim is to equip our young charges with the confidence and basic life skills required to achieve through their school years and become happy, well balanced individuals. Montessori philosophy is to encourage children to learn from both individual self-governing activities as well as joining forces to accomplish team challenges in a safe, caring and well ordered environment.
“Children learn through their senses.”
Maria Montessori
From the outset, Dr Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952) showed her independent spirit by studying maths and engineering at a boys’ technical school. After developing a passion for biology, she eventually became the first woman in Italy to earn a Doctorate in Medicine.
Her interest in education evolved through working with and observing children with special needs. By educating their senses, children could picture the concept of the reality of the world and applying this method to all children proved that Montessori’s approach was superior to conventional teaching.
100 years after the opening of Dr Montessori’s first “Children’s House”, neurologists have confirmed her belief that given the right environment and support, children construct their own learning naturally and at their own pace.
The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child's own natural desire to learn.
Maria Montessori
Montessori Pre-School Curriculum
The Montessori classroom is a calm and happy environment. Each session includes dedicated Montessori activity time allowing children endless opportunity to discover the beautifully handcrafted Montessori apparatus. These specially designed materials fulfil a child’s desires by offering auto education through repetition and independent exploration, providing a sense of achievement and well being.
Activities are grouped into the following areas which are easily identifiable around the room:
Practical Life
Activities provide children with visual skills for later life. Experiences include pouring, sweeping, laying the table and grace and courtesy skills. Children acquire independence, confidence and control of fine and gross manipulative skills, whilst developing an understanding of their immediate environment.
Sensorial
Touch and feel materials develop, refine and order the senses. Exercisees indirectly lay the foundations of important concepts in preparation for language and mathematics.
Mathematics
Mathematics materials provide an understanding of quantity and the 0-9 numerals. Symbols are introduced and the two concepts then combined. Once these foundations are established further exercises broaden mathematical knowledge.
Culture
Cultural subjects offer insight into Biology, Geography, History and Science. Materials encourage children to explore the world and develop an appreciation of different cultures.
Language
This activity starts by developing communicative and listening skills through fun and simple games, singing and story telling. Next, written symbols are introduced using traceable sandpaper letters and phonetic sounds established, paving the way to early grammar.
Creativity
This skill is a for of expression allowing children to convey their own ideas and develop self identity through music, movement, art and craft, drama and literature.
As well as covering the national Early Years Foundation Stage, the Montessori Curriculum goes further by ensuring children leave with the confidence, independence and practical skills required for success through their school years.
