Our program is based on the philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori.

Her approach to human development focuses on the most vital stage of a child’s life: the beginning.

Our classrooms provide a carefully prepared environment in which the child has opportunities for activities in the following areas: practical life, sensorial, language, mathematics and culture.

We hope this site will answer any questions you might have about The Giving Tree Montessori Learning Center curriculum.

Practical Life

Children take great delight in carrying out the activities that are part of daily living. These exercises are activities that a child has observed from birth, as being useful and important in their home. When a child enters school, these activities are a bridge between the home environment and school. A child is naturally attracted to these activities. Because of this interest, the child works with concentration and independence. The practical life activities are primarily structured to develop coordination and refine movement, which will have a direct influence on the work in the academic areas. The ability to choose and complete a task provides the child with the opportunity to work independently and to build upon their self-confidence.

Sensorial Exercises

From birth, children are bombarded with sensory experiences. They must learn to classify and organize this information in order to function in the world. To a very young child, the words “long” and “short” mean nothing. When a child carries the longest rod of the ten red rods (varying in length) with their arms stretched wide, and the shortest rod with their arms close together and is given the labels “long” and “short”, the child will better understand and apply the concept of length in other areas of their environment. Each material in Sensorial exercises is designed to teach one concept. The color tablets teach color, not just size and shape. This makes it easier for the child to learn and understand “red”.

Math

The Math materials help the child to develop his mathematical mind. Through the manipulation of concrete materials, the child develops an understanding of mathematical logic. This development provides a foundation from which the more abstract concepts of mathematics are mastered. The math materials are divided into five main categories:

• Understanding of Numbers (1-10)

• Understanding of Decimal System

• Linear Counting

• Idea of the Four Operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division)

• Process to Abstraction

Music

“Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.” - Plato

This quote illustrates the importance of music in Montessori classroom. The inter-relationship of all subjects is further enhanced through movement, listening, music theory and performance.

Geography

Geography is important to the whole of a person’s life. The Montessori Geography curriculum gives the whole and then goes gradually to more and more detail, not only of names, but customs of various cultures. This helps the child to expand their view of the world, become aware of different nationalities and to associate and classify some of the characteristics of other nations.

Science

Young children have simple interest in cause and effect. As they grow older, they will enrich their scientific aptitude as their reasoning powers mature.

Language

The child absorbs language, as a sponge absorbs water. A child learns language easily in the first three years of life. Because a child is learning lifelong language skills from the environment, it is important that the environment be as rich as possible.

Spanish

Learning a foreign language is easier the earlier it is begun. Learning one foreign language at an early age makes it easier to acquire others later on in life.

Spanish is a particularly useful language. It is spoken in many countries worldwide, including many of those neighboring the United States. It is the United States’ official second language.