Metta Montessori School, Arlington

Metta Montessori School follows the philosophy, methods and materials developed by Dr. Maria Montessori. The Montessori Method emphasizes the development of all facets of a child’s personality – intellectual, social, emotional, and physical. The prepared environment contains a wide variety of scientifically designed materials from which a child may choose what is appropriate for her. The Montessori teacher acts as a guide to connect the child to the environment by observing the child’s needs and presenting materials to meet that particular stage of development. The guide encourages exploration, and practice until the child reaches mastery. She gently establishes a culture of caring and support in the classroom community through the grace and courtesy lessons and role modelling. Awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things and the environment is offered to the children from the very beginning, and they are encouraged to be caretakers of the earth. We are fully committed to the Montessori formula of the Prepared Environment, the Prepared Adult and Freedom and Responsibility. The activities in a Montessori environment are planned to allow the child to be independent of the adult. It allows for movement and to work with manipulatives. Concepts are introduced with concrete materials, and children are encouraged to explore and repeat until mastery is reached. The primary curriculum consists of 5 basic areas: Practical Life Activities Sensorial Exercises Language Mathematics Cultural Studies Practical Life The Exercises of Practical life are the familiar activities such as cooking, cleaning, etc. that the child sees being performed at home every day. They are the activities that take care of the person and the home. Because of their familiarity they create a bridge between the home and the school and ease the transition from one environment to the other for the young child. The Exercises of Practical life help the child develop concentration, refine fine motor skills, and become independent in the care of oneself. The child also acquires a strong sense of order and develops social graces. The Sensorial Activities The Sensorial material was carefully designed by Dr. Montessori to meet the needs of the child of this age group. With the Sensorial material children use their senses to identify the properties of the environment and describe them. They learn to discriminate using their senses and organize the sensory information they experience. They help the child to lay the foundation for further work in scientific observation, descriptive writing and art appreciation.They also help the child develop and refine fine and gross motor skills. Language The period of birth – 6 is an intense period of language acquisition. The Montessori Language program gives the child a rich vocabulary, a strong foundation in phonics, and a deep appreciation of literature. It helps develop reading skills, and written expression, and supports the study of the function of words Mathematics Mathematics concepts in the Primary Montessori classroom are presented with scientifically designed, concrete materials, which lead the child to abstract concepts. The materials allow for exploration and discovery. They give the child a strong understanding of place value and the four operations amongst other things, and lay a solid foundation for further studies in the Elementary classroom. Cultural Studies The cultural studies include the natural and physical sciences, history, geography, art and music. In the sciences, geography and history the goal is to introduce basic concepts and language to arouse the child's interest. Art introduces various media and teaches specific skills, and gives to child opportunity create their own works of art. Music helps the child gather a repertoire of songs, an appreciation of music, and an opportunity to compose music.