Our Curriculum

The Montessori classroom is divided into four main areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, and Mathematics, with additional exercises in Cultural Activities.

When a child first enters a Montessori classroom, Practical Life is the first area that is introduced. In this area the child refines fine motor and gross motor skills, integrates mind and body by learning exercises that use both, and develops concentration and focus. The child learns how to do activities that are common to his everyday world, such as washing, polishing, sewing, sweeping, etc.

After the child has learned some Practical Life exercises and has started to develop good working habits in that area, he is introduced to the sensorial area. These exercises are designed to strengthen and refine all of the child's senses. The child learns by using not only sight, but also feel, smell, taste, and hearing. This area also develops the child's sense of order and lays the foundation for all later mathematical learning.

In the language area the child builds a larger vocabulary, and learns the letters by sound. The child then begins to build words with the movable alphabet and is soon reading simple words. As soon as the child is comfortable reading longer and longer phonetic words, phonograms such as sh, ch, er, oo, are introduced - thus enabling the child to read more and more words. Sight words are also taught and soon the child reaches that point where reading starts to flow.

The Montessori mathematics program is known throughout the world. After working with materials that teach the child 0-10, the golden beads are presented to the child. With these the child learns units, tens, hundreds and thousands and soon is building 4-digit numbers. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are all introduced using the golden beads. The child already knows how to build 4-digit numbers with the beads and now learns to interchange them when doing the functions. Now the child can see in concrete form the process of carrying in addition or borrowing in subtraction. Once the child can see how the mathematical functions take place, he readily internalizes the functions and commits them to memory.

The Montessori curriculum is rounded out by exercises in geography, biology, physical science, art, and music. At Morning Glory Montessori School we also offer lessons in Spanish, movement, and yoga. The curriculum at our school is rich and varied. Dr. Montessori believed that it was important to lay the foundation for all areas of learning and then to allow the child to choose which areas she might want to explore further. But the most important thing that a child learns in a Montessori classroom is how to make wise decisions that will gain her the results that she is seeking. By making her own decisions, the child grows in confidence and self-esteem.

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