Lotus Montessori

The purpose and aim of Practical Life is to help the child gain control in the coordination of movement, and to gain independence and adapt to society. Through everyday tasks — pouring, buttoning, sweeping, and caring for their environment — children develop focus, coordination, and the self-discipline that forms the foundation for all later learning.

Practical Life activities prepare the child for reading and writing by helping them control their body and develop the concentration needed for academic work.

In the Montessori classroom, Sensorial materials are used to help a child develop and refine his or her five senses. The materials for ages 2½ to 6 are designed to help the child develop the necessary skills for later intellectual learning — representing the next level of difficulty after Practical Life.

The child's repetitive use of sensorial materials helps develop order, concentration, coordination, and independence. As the child gains self-confidence, they gain inner discipline through a process Maria Montessori called normalization.

The Practical Life and Sensorial areas provide a firm foundation for language development. Phonetic skills and the study of grammar help children develop reading ability, sequencing, classification, and gradation — activities that lay the groundwork for both reading and math.

An observant teacher, a well-prepared classroom, and the right materials prepare the child for language readiness at an early age. Language development is one of the crucial steps in a child's natural growth.

Mathematics is a language for understanding and expressing measurable relationships. Learning comes much more easily when children work with hands-on materials that graphically show what is taking place in a given mathematical process.

In the Montessori math curriculum, all materials are graded from simple to complex, from concrete to abstract. The child's mathematical mind tends to estimate, quantify, see patterns, and establish order — preparing them for later academic learning.

The Cultural area covers Geography, Science, Botany, Zoology, and History — plus Art and Music. Maria Montessori felt that knowledge and understanding of such subjects is what makes one a truly 'cultured' person.

Children receive concrete examples, stories, and pictures of people from all over the world. They work with specially designed maps and explore their own cultural heritage as well as others'. Geography and the wider world are taught through music, celebrations, food, globes, maps, books, pictures, and each other's traditions.