Montessori 3–6 Classroom Guide

This is the most extensive guide to the Montessori 3–6 classroom ever published, covering the ideas, principles, techniques, and materials that inspire, inform, and guide all Montessori programs. This indispensable informational companion for the other five curriculum manuals provides detailed, essential topics surrounding the theory, philosophy, and methodology of Dr. Montessori. Some of the topics covered are:

Montessori Practical Life Manual

The Practical Life manual begins with an in-depth introduction to the practical life philosophy and methodology to ensure a thorough understanding of this essential part of Montessori education. This includes an extensive focus on the areas, aims, and benefits of practical life, as well as the prepared environment and the method of presentation. Following the introduction, a wide range of practical, real-life activities are offered that assist the child in developing a sense of order, concentration, personal pride, independence, respect for others, fine motor skills, grace and courtesy, confidence and self-esteem. The practical life activities are key in guiding children toward independence and being able to proudly say, “I can do it myself.” The activities are divided into four main areas:

Sensorial Manual

The curriculum outlined in the 3–6 Sensorial manual is unique and significant to the Montessori method of education. Never is the growth potential for sense development greater than during the early years, and Dr. Montessori developed the sensorial curriculum to make the most of this period of development. The iconic and beautiful sensorial materials isolate and provide concrete examples of abstract concepts that are perceived through the senses. The activities presented in this manual help children understand their world through the information received from the environment and lay the groundwork for intellectual life by refining the senses and promoting the development of cognitive skills. This manual covers key Montessori sensorial concepts and activities including:

Language Arts Manual

The Language Arts manual comprises an active writing and reading program that is based on phonetics and is enriched with a broad range of activities that are dynamic, interactive, and fun. Including all of Dr. Montessori’s original activities, this is a fully integrated program in which all of the materials and resources support each other in a cohesive manner. Starting with oral language development and progressing to associating sounds and symbols and experiencing the function of grammar, the program guides the child toward fluent reading. Some of the topics and activities included are:

Mathematics Manual

In math, children first explore numbers 1–10, learning about quantities and symbols, and how to associate the two. Through hands-on, incremental learning, the children systematically build on this foundation to learn about the decimal system, numbers to 100, and solving four-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division equations. The activities incorporate Dr. Montessori's carefully designed concrete materials to help children truly grasp and understand abstract mathematical concepts in a gradual and concrete manner. This manual covers important Montessori concepts and activities including:

Culture and Science Manual

All children have an inherent curiosity about our world, and the hands-on and exploratory activities and experiments included in the 3–6 Culture and Science manual build upon the children’s connections to the earth, to nature, and to others. Montessori’s early childhood program supports children in their quest to understand the world and themselves by allowing them to explore the world directly, both within the Montessori environment and in the larger world. This curriculum demonstrates the scientific method as the means to explore the world objectively and provides an organized scientific account of the world covering all the major fields of study, including: