The Montessori curriculum is extraordinarily rich and complex. We can, however, give you a sense of some of the major goals of the method.
Characteristics of the Montessori Method:
- Extended work periods: children can delve more deeply into content at each Montessori learning station
- Self-selected work in a ceiling-less environment: in the Montessori classroom, children can go as far with a content area (math, reading, etc.) as they are able to; they work at their own pace, whether it is faster or slower than their peers
- Multi-age grouping, which allows younger learners to learn from modeling their elder classmates and which allows older learners to develop leadership skills, responsibility, and cooperative skills at a very young age
- Work centers for all the main content areas which are designed to stimulate and fully engage students
- Portfolios for assessment purposes, which give teachers and parents a much more complete understanding of the progress of each child
- Contracts for learning, which ensure that all content is mastered but that also allow for individuals to specialize in certain content areas
- Additional curricula (e.g., cooking, cleaning, gardening, etc.) which help to produce responsible and independent learners
