At TMA, we teach the Montessori Method, a unique approach to helping children learn and grow. Our education comes with some specialized words and terms pertaining to courses, learning materials, and educational techniques. Here are 10 Montessori terms it’s useful to know.
Absorbent mind: From infancy until age six, children go through a period of intense mental growth. This is when a child develops language and discovers the world spontaneously. Kids at this age are able to “absorb” information from their surrounding environment naturally and without much effort.
Coordination of movement: This term refers to helping children learn how to move through the world and perform basic tasks. From holding a pencil to doing downward dog, our programs help children control and explore movement.
Cosmic education: The Montessori Method emphasizes “cosmic education,” offering lessons about the solar system, the galaxy, and Earth as it relates to the larger cosmos. This approach helps students comprehend the world around them and how the past has shaped it.
Didactic materials: Didactic means “intended to teach.” We use didactic materials and a wide variety of learning tools to help children grasp various ideas and concepts.
Freedom with responsibility: This idea gives children the freedom to explore various ideas and activities in the classroom, but holds them accountable for taking care of their environment and being courteous to their peers.
Grace and courtesy: Living Montessori does not only teach children to read and write; our curriculaare built to help children be kind, responsible, and caring citizens. Children will learn social skills and manners, including saying “please” and “thank you,” learning how to be polite, and more.
Practical life: Practical life activities teach children how to take care of their home, classroom, and immediate surroundings. This involves learning about hygiene, exploring empathy, and working independently to navigate real-life situations.
Prepared environment: At Montessori schools, teachers prepare the learning environment with purpose and order, strategically shaping the classroom to best suit kids’ learning needs. This ranges from tactile materials to seating arrangements that are suited to individual and group work.
Sensorial exercises: We use sensorial exercises to develop and hone the five senses. Children explore the world by seeing, smelling, touching, hearing, and tasting, and build foundations for concrete learning.
Work: Maria Montessori defined work as “purposeful activity.” Children explore work through purposeful activity of their own choice in order to learn and grow.
Triangle Montessori Academy is a Cary preschool emphasizing art, mathematics, practical life, Spanish, yoga, meditation, and music. The private, year-round school was founded in 2008 and accepts children from 18 months old up to six years old. The school is a member of the American Montessori Society and all teachers are AMS-certified. Students at the school are exposed to Montessori-style teaching approaches, including individual learning according to each child’s style and pace, multi-age classrooms that allow children to advance when they are ready, and a nurturing of students’ natural curiosity.
For more information, call 919.463.7770, or visit our Website at www.trianglemontessori.org.
