Completing the Cycle: Why Choose Montessori Elementary Education
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by: catarbe
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Word Count: 614
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2011 Time: 9:48 AM
If you are one of the many parents who have sent your child to a Montessori school for the last three years, you probably have a young person who is very confident, self assured, independent, and who absolutely loves to go to school. As your child approaches the end of his third year in the Montessori environment, you are probably giving careful thought as to whether or not to continue with Montessori. As you research more information about the years ahead in Montessori, you will find the elementary Montessori curriculum is highly enriched and challenging. The main objective of the Montessori Elementary Program is to provide a carefully planned, stimulating environment which will help children develop the foundational habits, attitudes, skills and ideas within themselves which are essential for a lifetime of creative thinking and learning. At the Preschool level, the Montessori Method of Education introduces children to the joy of learning and provides the essential framework for all future development and intellectual growth. At the Elementary Level, the Montessori Method fosters continued development of positive attitudes towards learning, develops a sense of high self-esteem, builds habits of concentration, initiative and persistence for lifelong study skills, and focuses on a specialized curriculum encompassing all academic areas. The Montessori Elementary Program offers individualized instruction, which means that the child may work and be helped on an individualized basis. Individualized learning establishes a more intimate contact among the child and his work. The Montessori Elementary child is able to not only comprehend the many complex ideas and concepts of advanced academics, but also to retain and relish in their discovery. The program permits a variety of approaches, using dynamic and colorful manipulatives which materialize abstract principles in the mind of the child. These concrete materials are used throughout the entire curriculum include the following: Language: Reading, Comprehension skills, Printing, Cursive Writing, Research Skills, Spelling, Grammar, Sentence Analysis, Capitalization and Punctuation, Word Study, Advanced Word Functions, Mechanics of writing, Literature, Research Projects, Dictionary Skills, Penmanship, Poetry and Drama. Mathematics: Numeration, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Fractions, Percentages, Decimals, Factors, Powers, Time, Money, Weight, Advanced Mathematics, Squaring, Cubing Abstraction, Integers, Equations, Statistics, Graphs, Measurement, Algebra, Probability. Geometry: Lines, Angles, Triangles, Quadrilaterals, Circles, Polygons, Area of Plane Figures and Circles, Circumference and Volume of Solids, Congruency, Equivalency, Transformations. Geography and History: Political Geography, U.S History, Pre-History, Study of Maps and Globes, Timeline of Life, Timeline of Man, Geological Time Line, Countries and Continents, Flags, Physical Geography, Civilizations, States and Capitals, Land Formations, Earth Structures, Economic Geography, Natural Resources, United States Study Units. Social Studies and Science: Foreign Languages, Cultural Studies, Physical Education, Computer Skills, Art and Music Appreciation, Study of the Masters, Art Projects, Elements of Music, and more. With all this in mind, take a moment to think about your Montessori child and how they have grown thus far as nearing the end of the third year in the Montessori environment. Now open your mind to the possibilities of all their future potential. What do you envision your child being like at age 18? If your dreams include a young man or young woman who truly has a passion for learning, thinks outside the box and appreciates and respects their peers, then I encourage you to continue down the path of a Montessori education. You have certainly done the right thing by giving your child the gift of a Montessori education. Now, allow your child to reap the benefits by continuing their Montessori education so one day the dreams of what you envision them to be can become a reality.
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By: Ana Alvarez
