North Austin Montessori School

Young children are attracted to activities that help them become independent and take care of their environment. Materials in the practical life area allow children to practice such activities as cutting polishing sweeping pouring and washing a table. The purpose of these activities is to develop concentration and attention to detail finishing each task and putting away all the materials before seeking out another activity. Children are encouraged to repeat activities so they may perfect coordination skills and develop concentration. The skills developed through practical life exercises will lay the foundation for academic exercises. Sensorial materials in the Montessori classroom are designed to help the child explore the world through their senses. Each of the sensorial materials isolates one defining quality such as color weight shape texture size sound and smell. The materials help children to distinguish to categorize and to relate new information to what they already know. The Sensorial Materials are largely self-correcting so the child can accomplish the exercise alone. Children find a sense of order in these materials and acquire a joy in learning that their environment has order. The Montessori mathematical materials isolate each concept and introduce it to the child in a concrete form using manipulative equipment. Children are first introduced to the numbers using the sandpaper numbers. Once they can recognize the numbers they are introduced to activities that teach them to associate each numerical symbol with the proper quantity. These exercises not only teach children to calculate but they provide a deep understanding of how numbers function. They learn concrete mathematical concepts and the materials lead them to the abstract so that their understanding has a firm foundation. The child progresses one step at a time to a more abstract understanding of the concepts of arithmetic including addition multiplication subtraction and division.