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What is the Montessori curriculum? Why choose it?

Your child deserves nothing less than the finest. Even Jeff Bezos and the founders of Google went through the Montessori curriculum.

It can be challenging for a parent to know the best educational approach that meets a child’s interests and matches their needs.

Also, have you been looking for a Montessori school near Florida that equips your child with experiential learning? If you’re still on the fence thinking about the quality education for kids in Land O lakes, this article is for you.

You will learn: 

What is the Montessori curriculum?

The Montessori curriculum is a child-centered educational method. Montessori values children’s independence, physical development, social development, and a child’s natural psychological development. 

It is scientific in nature and was created in the early 1900s by Dr. Maria Montessori.

Montessori believes that allowing a child to choose what they want and enjoy helps them learn better.

How is it different from other education approaches?

Montessori education focuses on the observation and experiential learning of children. 

Experiential learning enables a youngster to gain an understanding of arts, mathematics, social studies, and language. Children are free to make decisions, but instructors lead them through the process by providing age-appropriate activities. 

This is the opposite of conventional education, in which instructors exert complete control.

In Montessori classrooms, children are allowed to work in groups and individually to discover the world and what they’re good at. Children work by themselves and through their own experience. Teachers are only there to guide the process and discover a child’s natural curiosity and the unique way they learn.

Compared to traditional classrooms with chairs, tables, and shelves with books, the Montessori classrooms differ in that they allow free movement. Children can move from one group to another.

Montessori classrooms are designed to meet children’s needs within a particular age range. The classroom arrangement matches a child’s natural desires and available activities.

In the early Montessori classrooms, children are also grouped by age. The commonly mixed-age classrooms are between 2 1/2 or 3 to 6 years old for the starting Montessori levels, prior to moving on to the lower elementary school levels.

Why is Montessori important for your child?

  • Good learning environment. Children learn well from a well-prepared environment. It is a place where children can learn for themselves. Montessori curriculum is structured to provide an environment that allows your child to access learning materials like sandpaper letters, geometric solids, colored bead stairs used for arithmetic, and other experiences for children to understand concepts like vocabulary and discover complex materials.
  • Children can choose activities from a recommended range of options.
  • Children can learn the basics using materials instead of direct instructions from a teacher
  • Freedom of movement within the classroom. Instead of standing in front of pupils in the class, teachers move from group to group to observe and record a child’s progress.
  • A trained Montessori teacher to guide the process.

How does the Montessori curriculum work?

The Montessori curriculum offers five main areas of study-Mathematics, Cultural studies, Language, Sensorial, and Practical life. 

In each area of study, we provide educational materials with increasing complexity at each stage. The Montessori curriculum allows children to learn at their own pace depending on their development stage and needs. 

Trained teachers will introduce the major study lessons and the outcome of each Montessori learning materials to the children.

After every lesson, each child works with the Montessori learning materials individually to practice, discover, and understand the primary learning outcomes. 

It doesn’t mean that teachers are not needed during this time. They will be there to observe how the children are learning and record their progress.

A trained teacher will only come in when necessary. This allows freedom for children and encourages them to learn new skills and information because of the direct link between a sense of inspiration and learning.

Montessori educators will only introduce new lessons to a child when the child is ready to proceed to the next stage. With more practice, children understand the advancement of Montessori learning materials and have a basic understanding of each area of study.

Education at Countryside Montessori Charter School

We are an established public charter Montessori elementary and middle school near Tampa.

We currently serve over 350 students from grades 1 to 8, being one of the best Montessori in Florida and rated top 8% of elementary schools and top 6% of middle schools in the state of Florida for many years.

We offer quality education for children in Land O’ Lakes based on the Montessori curriculum. Our teaching approach allows the children to choose what they want to learn under the expertise guidance of our Montessori educated teachers.

To better meet the needs of all students, the classrooms at Countryside Montessori Charter School are outfitted with Montessori-style resources, allowing them to master various academic subjects. We follow the Montessori method of teaching.

Additionally, we aspire to build self-reliant, respectful, and responsible leaders among our students.

The curriculum at Countryside Montessori is designed to encourage students to use problem-solving, cooperation, and critical thinking abilities.

Consider a medical evaluation for:

  • Fever that last 3 or more days
  • Drainage from the ear
  • Cough that continues for several days
  • Repeated episodes of diarrhea or vomiting
  • Rash
  • Itchy eyes with clear or cloudy drainage
  • Sore throat, with or without fever
  • “Cold” symptoms that last more than one week​

*A child who has fever with a temperature greater than 100 degrees (orally), has been vomiting, or has diarrhea should stay home for 24 hours AFTER the symptoms are gone.

*Children of all ages need 8-10 hours of sleep at night and good nutrition including adequate fluids (milk, juice, water).