Ithaca Montessori School

The Montessori Environment
Montessori environments are specially prepared for your child to develop and grow to become successful, independent thinkers.

At each level, care and attention is devoted to each area of the classroom. The class flows from one area to the next with table and floor spaces interspersed. The rooms are intended to be peaceful and beautiful. That is, there may be one beautiful piece of artwork on the wall instead of a wall covered with many things.
Kid Picture
The furniture is child size and made for the child’s comfort. Furniture is light enough that the child can move it himself. The shelves are set-up for the children to take materials as needed. The shelves are sequenced from the easiest (most concrete) work to the hardest (most abstract) from left to right. The work is also organized from the most simple to the most complex. At the conclusion of a lesson, the work is put back in the correct spot on the shelf and the child is invited to perform the task.

Montessori classrooms have a large group gathering area, which is used for circle time, musical activity, and rest. The Montessori classroom is set-up in different subject areas: practical life, sensorial, mathematics, language, and cultural.

Areas of The Montessori Environment

  Practical Life
  Sensorial
  Language
  Mathematics
  Cultural

Practical Life: The exercises for practical life are designed to teach the child to function in their own environment by teaching them how to interact with the things around them. The practical life area prepares the child indirectly for all other areas of the curriculum with order, concentration, coordination and independence. Practical life exercises include pouring, sorting, food preparation, care of self (hand washing, teeth brushing, grooming), care of the environment (table washing, floor scrubbing, dusting, polishing). As the child progresses through the practical life work it becomes more involved. This is the easiest area of the classroom to bring to your home environment. Parents are encouraged to invite their child to sort the laundry. Show them how to load the washer and put in the appropriate amount of detergent. After the load of laundry is dry, your child can fold the laundry.

Sensorial: Sensorial exercise deal with developing the five senses. By developing the five senses, the child develops intelligence and independence. Dr. Montessori wrote, “The aim (of sensorial exercises) is an inner one, namely, that the child train himself to observe; that he be led to make comparisons between objects, to form judgments, to reason and to decide; and it is in the indefinite repetition of this exercise of attention and of intelligence that a real development ensues.” The sensorial area also includes geometry as the subject is introduced to the child through their senses.

Language: At the 3-6 age level, language exercises train the child to focus on sounds and noises and to discriminate between them. Writing is included in the language area of the classroom. The elementary child focuses on classifying and organizing language.

Mathematics: Mathematics is the science of numbers. Montessori mathematics focuses on numeration, the decimal system, and geometry. Our base ten system encourages the child to sequence and order his work. This area of the classroom starts with very concrete material and moves to more abstract work. Each child moves at his/her own pace working to internalize concrete ideas and eventually shift to understanding abstract concepts.

Cultural: Cultural subjects include history, geography, art, physical science, cosmology, music and physical movement. The aim of studying culture is to allow the child to experience their place in the universe. They begin by exploring similarities between their culture and others, and then have appreciation and respect for differences. They learn how all beings are fundamentally related and discover ways to feel they are significant beings in this world.