Primary

The Sensitive Periods guide our work with children

Maria Montessori formulated her scientific theory of Sensitive Periods in 1921 based on 21 years of scientific observation of children. These Sensitive Periods are the corner stone of a Montessori education and guide us in every aspect of our work with children. Our lessons and materials are created to fulfill the specific needs of a child according to these periods. The Sensitive Periods will direct the child to a particular activity.

Children aged 3-6 are in the sensitive period for:

• Order
• Attention to small detail
• Refinement of the senses
• Refinement of movement
• Learning social skills.
  

Help Me to do it By Myself

An entire area of the classroom is devoted to "practical life" activities: preparing food; opening and closing fasteners, washing tables, polishing silver, etc. Children learn how to take care of themselves, and gain a sense of self-confidence and mastery in doing so.

Honing the Senses

Materials in the Primary classroom allow children explore and put names to a variety of sensations: size, color, shape, texture, scent, sound, and more. Children take pleasure in games of organization: sorting or ordering objects, counting beads, etc. Other activities provide tangible, hands-on introductions to the mechanics of language and concepts of number.

The World Around Me

Several materials provide a physical introduction to the wider world. Puzzle maps and collections of pictures and artifacts give a basic orientation tot he cultures and landscapes of the world. The multi-age classroom also fosters social skills. With only a limited quantity of each material on the shelves, children must learn to share, wait for a turn, or choose a different piece of work. Older children help younger children solve problems, which serves to strengthen the younger child’s education and solidify the older child’s learning.

Explosion into Reading and Writing

Primary children are eagerly acquiring language, both in size of vocabulary and complexity of expression. The Sandpaper Letters allow the child to learn the sounds and shapes of the letters of the alphabet. Children may also use the Moveable Alphabet to "write" their own stories, even before their manual dexterity would allow the proper use of a pencil. Use of these materials to create sentences often leads to, what we refer to as an “explosion into reading and writing”. This is when all the preparation: refinement of manual dexterity, increased vocabulary, and knowledge of letter sounds and use, collide and the child, quite suddenly and is able to read their own compositions—and others'. Montessori-educated children routinely enter first grade as fully competent readers and writers.

Ready to move up

Children who have mastered the academic skills, and have developed a strong work ethic in the Primary classroom are ready to move on to Kulima Montessori’s Elementary program (6-12 years).