The Montessori Curriculum focuses on supporting the development of infants, children, preschoolers, and toddlers from birth to adulthood.
Introduced in 1907 in a small classroom in Rome, Italy, by Dr.Maria Montessori, to support underprivileged children, the Montessori Curriculum transcended its local boundaries and reached every corner of the globe.
The Montessori Curriculum is based on three key concepts, which include human tendencies, the planes of development, and the prepared environment.
Again, these three key concepts largely cover – Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language Learning, and Culture to achieve the all-round development of a child.
What Is Montessori Curriculum?
Natural Human Tendencies: Dr.Maria Montessori observed that all human beings, irrespective of race, skin color, gender, culture, and age share a common trait of innate tendencies which operate throughout their lives.
What is more, these human tendencies guide both their development and behavior. In addition, these tendencies include- exploring and investigating the environment, communicating with each other, and calculating quantities.
Furthermore, humans have to remain active to work. They repeat the same work to achieve precision and self-perfection.
Above all, they have a rare ability to imagine things that are not immediately present to the senses.
Thus, they become able to build a mental inventory of organized ideas which are the foundation of human reasoning and judgment.
As these tendencies are common to all human beings, Montessori educators take these tendencies into account and design a learning environment for each plane of development.
Planes or Stages Of Development:
Dr. Maria Montessori sketches four distinctive planes or stages of development of a child from birth to adulthood. Each stage spans approximately six years.
The First Stage:
The first stage refers to a child’s birth to age six. In this stage, children remain sensory explorers. They try to learn how to become functionally independent in their surroundings and community.
By absorbing each and every aspect of their environment, culture, and language, they try to build their own intellect at this stage.
The Second Stage:
The second stage ranges from six to twelve years. In this stage, pupils use reasoning, abstract thoughts, and imagination for a better understanding of the world.
In short, this is the period when children develop their intellectual independence, ethics, and social responsibility.
The Third Stage:
The range of the third stage is from twelve to eighteen years. In this crucial stage young individuals try to establish their place in society and they also seek to contribute to society for its betterment.
In addition, they try to implement their previously gathered knowledge into real-life exercises.
The Fourth Stage:
The fourth stage spans from ages 18 to 24. In this stage, young adults acquire specialized knowledge and skills.
This period thus equips them with the ability to integrate into society and achieve social and economic freedom.
There is a specific Montessori learning environment for each stage of development.
Sensitive Period:
Dr.Maria Montessori coined the term ‘ sensitive period’ to specify naturally occurring times in a child’s development.
When a child seeks to learn about a specific aspect of the surroundings and desperately tries to do so, it is called a ‘sensitive period’.
According to her, a child’s sensitive periods include – order, language, numbers, small objects, motor skills, spatial relationships, writing, etc. From birth to around six years of age one can consider it as a child’s sensitive period.
The Prepared Environment:
According to Dr.Maria Montessori the development of infants, children, and young individuals largely depends on their action and interaction with their environment.
This is why, Montessori learning environments are carefully prepared.
Moreover, the Montessori learning environment aims to make infants, children, and young people learn through their activities.
Key Elements Of A Montessori Learning Environment:
- Young Children
- The trained Montessori teachers or adults
- Thoughtfully crafted spaces with Montessori educational materials.
Enhancement Options With The Prepared Environment:
A Montessori-prepared environment presents a multitude of growth chances integrating movement, stimulating work, concentration, and independence.
Concentration:
Dr.Maria believed that concentration plays a vital role in a child’s overall development. She also opined that concentration is a natural state of childhood and therefore a child needs to concentrate to master any activity.
Mastering every Montessori activity requires concentration which is the sole key to learning.
Characteristics Of The Prepared Environment:
The Prepared Environment is characterized by two key elements:-
- Beauty and Order
- Multi-age Groups
- Beauty and Order: While observing children Maria Montessori found that the children, in the original sense of the term, got absorbed in their immediate environment.
As a result, she carefully crafted the environment to be beautiful, clean, and orderly.
In addition, it should be illuminated with natural light, wooden furniture, neat and clean materials, flowers, and other decorative items perfectly placed.
Moreover, she advised that the children should take the responsibility of keeping their surroundings clean.
- Multi/Mixed Age Groups:
Dr.Maria Montessori created ‘ the primary level prepared environment ‘ for mixed-age group children ( aged approximately 2.5- 6 years).
She found that children grow in three distinctive phases, starting from birth to around age 3. Furthermore, each phase has its own features.
Finally, she believed that in mixed age groups, children tend to communicate better and develop their behavior patterns naturally.
Elements Of The Prepared Environment:
There are three main elements in the Montessori-prepared environment. They are:
- The Children
- The Montessori Teachers
- The Montessori Materials
The Children:
The Montessori Curriculum is child-centered. It always encourages individual learning through repetition, problem-solving, and intellectual challenges.
The Montessori Teachers:
The Montessori teachers should build warm relationships with children. They should also respect their individual needs and interests.
In the Montessori-prepared environment, children are free to choose their work and the teacher’s duty is to ensure individual choice that aligns with group needs.
The Montessori Materials:
Montessori materials promote interaction, precise use, and extended concentration. Their designs are intricate. Moreover, they serve as indirect preparation for learning by engaging children’s intellect and problem-solving abilities.
Montessori teachers precisely demonstrate these materials to children and make them aware of their use and benefits. After that, children freely explore these materials. Many materials act as an inherent control of error, assimilating self-correction and confidence in learning.
Most importantly, Montessori environments are prepared to present beyond physical materials, such as lessons in movement, social skills, and music.
Additionally, Montessori materials are the embodiment of abstract educational concepts across subjects like language, mathematics, science and the arts.
Montessori Pedagogy and Teaching Practices:
Researchers have proved that the Montessori method of teaching emphasizes child-centered learning environments. It combines movement, intrinsic motivation, and structured yet flexible teaching methods.
Furthermore, Montessori Pedagogy is based on over a century of observations and research confirming its effectiveness in child development and positive academic outcomes.
The Importance Of Assessment And Evaluation In Montessori Education:
Montessori education does not primarily focus on formal tests rather it evaluates children through observation and formative evaluation.
Formative Assessment:
Montessori teachers keep detailed records of the children’s progress by observing them closely.
In addition, these records help teachers in providing individualized learning experiences. The Montessori teachers access the following:
- Completion of the student’s work
- Students’ understanding of subjects
- Difficulties faced by students
Summative Assessment:
Summative evaluation or assessment in a Montessori classroom involves the following:
- Preparing documentation for every student who is learning through observation.
- Providing portfolios of students’ work.
The Montessori Vision:
Dr.Maria Montessori considered education as a tool for reconstructing humanity. Moreover, she believed that childhood is a crucial stage of development.
Furthermore, she emphasized that children build their reality through interactions with their environment.
Her vision centered on the following points:
- Childhood plays a vital role in shaping individuals and society.
- The Montessori education system allows children to become independent and creative.
- Human potential should be cultivated from an early age so that it can offer a better global understanding.
- Education is the only means that can prepare children to become confident, creative, and informed individuals.
Montessori Curriculum For 0-6 Years:
The First Plane Of Development:
In the first six years of life, children undergo a profound transformation. They progress from infancy to an active, articulate six years old.
Most importantly, in this foundational phase, Montessori environments promote independence, psycho-sensory-motor development, and language skills.
Moreover, through a structured yet self-directed learning approach, Montessori materials encourage self-construction, perception, movement, language, and independence.
Characteristics:
Children learn to construct their Intelligence and try to adjust to their surroundings.
They experience sensitive periods i.e. intense focus on specific aspects of development.
Children’s physical and mental growth occurs simultaneously. As a result, it influences their personality and learning process.
Their absorbent mind effortlessly allows them to absorb language, culture, and social behavior.
Montessori Prepared Environments for Early Years
Montessori teachers design Montessori environments in keeping with Dr.Maria Montessori’s vision, which she aspired to be beautiful, orderly, and functional, supporting a child’s natural development. Thus, this structured setting offers children independence.
There are two types of environments for children under three years:
- The Nido (or the Nest): Designed especially for infants from birth to 12-15 months. This setting supports children’s movement, sensory experiences, and interaction.
- The Infant Community: Designed especially for children from 12 months to 3 years. This setting supports children’s independence, controlled movement, and language development.
Trained Montessori teachers guide both of these environments. In addition; they build respectful interactions and support the child’s growth.
| Montessori Curriculum For 0-6 Years | ||
| Activity | Skills Developed | Montessori Materials |
| Commando Crawl | Diagonal cross-pattern movement | – |
| Get up on all fours | Control and coordination of body movement | – Punch ball, cylinder with ball |
| Put self into sitting position | Control and coordination | – Bar and mirror |
| Pull to stand | Strength and coordination | – Low heavy table, kiosk with bars |
| Crawl | Coordination and strength | – Push cart, pull cart |
| Cruise | Balance and leg strength | – Stairs, weaning chair, low slatted chair |
| Walk | Walking skills | – |
| Sit on a chair | Posture and balance | – |
| Develop and consolidate skills | Motor skills and movement | – Ramps, climbing frames, jumping, climbing |
| Hold and shake rattles successfully | Fine motor control | – Handmade rattles |
| Discriminate objects by sense of touch | Tactile discrimination | – Interlocking discs, beads on strap, rings |
| Transfer objects from hand to hand | Hand-eye coordination | – Graded rings, rings on a spindle |
| Develop control of the hand | Pincer grip development | – Punch ball, box with knitted ball |
| Tactile stimulation | Sensory development | – Balls, sand play, cutting with scissors |
| Sort objects | Categorization skills | – Collections of three-dimensional objects |
| Develop object permanence | Cognitive development | – Box with ball and tray, box with drawer |
| Nuts and bolts | Fine motor skills | – Nuts, bolts, furniture with locks and keys |
| Peg box | Hand strength and dexterity | – Peg box |
| Cubes and discs on dowels | Spatial awareness | – Cubes and discs on vertical/horizontal dowels |
| Cube in a box | Object manipulation | – Cube in a box |
| Beads for stringing | Hand-eye coordination | – Beads for stringing |
| Box with different shapes for mailing | Shape recognition | – Box with different shapes |
| Puzzles | Problem-solving skills | – Puzzles |
| Objects for opening and closing | Hand dexterity | – Various objects |
| Sewing | Fine motor skills | – Sewing materials |
| Cutting and gluing | Hand coordination | – Implements for cutting and gluing |
Language Development in Montessori:
While researching,Dr.Maria Montessori found that the language development of children begin before birth. After birth, infants, driven by their natural instincts, try to communicate and engage with the language around them.
As a result, children learn the language and culture of their community through observation, listening, and interaction.
In a Montessori-inspired environment there are two distinct phases of language development that Montessori educators must follow:
These two phases are:
- Prelinguistic Phase (Birth to 12 months) – In this phase infants engage in absorbing language, training vocal muscles, and developing auditory perception.
- Linguistic Phase (12 months to 3 years) – In this phase infants succeed in saying their first words with meaning to form simple sentences.
| Category | Skills & Understandings | Activities | Montessori Resources |
| Sensorial Exploration | Discriminate objects using senses | Practical life, food preparation | Psycho-sensory-motor materials |
| Gain Impressions | Color, shape, form, weight, length, dimension, texture, taste, sound | – | Psycho-sensory-motor materials |
| Develop Sense of Aesthetics | Appreciation of order and beauty | Environment arranged with selected objects for stimulus | – |
| Begin to Classify Objects | Grouping objects into general categories | Naming items from the environment | – |
| Visual Discrimination | Recognize objects by sight | Observing mobiles, grasping varied objects, matching | Nomenclature objects, cards |
| Tactile Discrimination | Refine sense of touch, recognize objects by touch | Sorting, fishing bags, food preparation | Tactile stimulation objects |
| Auditory Discrimination | Listen and identify objects by sound | – | Rattles, shakers, balls with rattles inside |
| Olfactory & Gustatory Discrimination | Recognize foods by smell, taste, and sight | Food preparation, nomenclature objects | – |
| Stereognostic Sense | Identify objects by touch alone | General, classified, and paired fishing bags | – |
| Music & Movement | Experience rhythm, timbre, and beat | Singing, using percussion instruments | – |
| Fundamental Life Skills | Practical life skills for independence and order | Self-care, food preparation, environmental care | Home-based activities |
| Transition | During transition/play, children will: | Become familiar with an environment which is appropriate, meaningful, and culturally relevant. | ||||||||
| Activity | Shake hands and greet another. | Observing good models, shaking hands, and greeting with culturally appropriate gestures. | ||||||||
| Resources | Basket for shoe removal and storage. | |||||||||
| Independence | Children develop and consolidate independence in: | Toileting, Dressing and undressing, Drinking, Food preparation and eating. | ||||||||
| Resources | Accessible toilet fixtures matched to children’s size and level of independence. | |||||||||
| Food preparation activities include: | Peeling, Juicing, Kneading, Shredding, Grating, Cutting. | |||||||||
| Care of the Environment | Typically, children will be able to: | Clean and care for the indoor environment. | ||||||||
| Activities include: | Dusting, Raking and sweeping. | |||||||||
| Resources | Child-sized tools matched to children’s size, strength, and dexterity. | |||||||||
| Care for Plants and Gardens | Observe and appreciate nature. | Watering plants, Arranging flowers, Growing seeds. | ||||||||
| Clean up spills | Activities include: | Using and wiping spills. | ||||||||
| Resources | Napkins, Sponges, Child-sized cleaning tools. | |||||||||
| Care for Animals | Develop a connection with living and non-living world. | Feeding animals, Handling materials. | ||||||||
| Resources | Containers for feeding, Grooming tools. | |||||||||
| Social Relations | Typically, children will: | Acquire appropriate language, Experience interactions with others. | ||||||||
| Resources | Model by adults and other children in the environment. | |||||||||
| Food Preparation | Preparing food for others to share. | Making bread, Cutting up fruit. | ||||||||
| Environment | The environment is prepared so children have space for their own work. | The number of each set of materials is limited, so children learn to value each activity and take turns. | ||||||||
Mathematics
Montessori teachers find it helpful to introduce mathematical concepts through sensory experiences. There is a multitude of Montessori sensory activities through which infants and toddlers explore mathematical relationships.
In addition , these activities help children understand concepts like quantity,weight,volume and spatial relationships.
For example:
- Sorting and matching activities introduce order and classification.
- Table setting and flower arranging offer experiences with shape, size, and symmetry.
- Blocks, dishes, and cloths help children explore volume, weight, and area.
Science, Geography, and History
In Montessori-inspired environment children observe their surroundings, carefully handle materials, and participate in cultural traditions.
Very naturally, they learn to understand their environment and history. In addition, they develop a sense of order, curiosity, and scientific inquiry.
Creative Arts
Children engage in nature-based experiences such as:
- Planting seeds
- Raking leaves
- Watering flowers
- Observing animals
These activities are conducive for children to nurture their creativity, sensory exploration, and appreciation of the natural world.
Music in Montessori Education:
There is no denying the fact that Dr.Maria Montessori considered music an essential part of human expression.
She proved that music refines children’s auditory and movement skills.Moreover,it provides them with the opportunities to participate in musical activities.
Montessori teachers integrate music and movement in infant communities through:
- Listening to sounds of objects
- Singing and identifying different voices
- Playing percussion instruments
- Participating in singing and movement games
| Category | Knowledge, Skills, and Understanding | Activities | Montessori Materials |
| Music: Auditory Discrimination | Identify objects by sound, experience timbre, rhythm, and beat | Singing, identifying different voices | Sounds in the environment, rattles, balls with rattles, percussion instruments |
| Music: Timbre and Self-Expression | Develop skills for self-expression | Playing percussion, movement, and drama activities | Percussion instruments, finger plays, movement exercises |
Movement and Dance
Movement plays a vital role in children’s development from birth to six years. Dance improves self-expression, physical health.
Visual Arts
In Montessori-inspired environment art activities which include sewing, painting, cutting, gluing, drawing, working with clay and flower arranging play a conspicuous role.
Dr.Montessori believed that that fine motor skills, sensory exercises, and practical life contribute to high-quality visual art.
Parent Education
Montessori education is not remained confined to classrooms rather it extends beyond them. It emphasizes collaboration with parents and communities. Parents receive guidance through:
- Information sessions
- Open days
- Multimedia resources (videos, books, DVDs)
- Discussion groups
- Home visits
Sumanta De is an educator. He has been teaching students for more than 16 years following the principles of Dr.Maria Montessori. He has a 7-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter.
He is nurturing his children abiding by the principles of Dr.Maria Montessori. His passion for Montessori methods goes beyond the classroom.
Hence, he shares his experiences and insights through a dedicated Montessori blog and a YouTube channel under the name “NewChild Montessori”. He aims to offer valuable guidance to both parents and educators.
Education: M.A. English, Masters in Child Psychology & Bachelor’s Degree in Montessori Teachers Training