The Montessori Method: (1) Structure the environment, not the child. What this means is that teachers plan what goes into their rooms - simpler & more basic materials are introduced early in the year and, as children master those, more complex materials are introduced during the course of the year. But within this thought-out structure, children have the freedom to choose what interests them & their choices are respected by the teachers. (2) Teachers are observers first, then teachers. They understand that children's rates of development & interests vary widely and they evaluate children individually, figuring out what each child is ready for & interested in. Then they offer materials that are appropriate for that child. (3) Early learning is sensorial, a literal hands-on experience. Aristotle said that all learning takes place first in the senses. Maria Montessori realized that this is how young children learn & all of her materials have a sensorial base - even language. She made sandpaper letters so that children could feel the letters as well as see & say them; she made the movable alphabet so that children can move letters around & make sounds/words when they are ready to do so. (4) All Montessori classrooms are divided into certain areas: Sensorial - This area is characterized by materials like the pink tower, brown stair, red rods, sound boxes; what these materials do is give children a chance to use their senses to discover the order in things. For example, the red rods can be put in order from longest to shortest; the sound boxes can be matched according to loudness & quietness. (Some people regard this material as rigid & non-creative, but it seems legitimate to us to include classroom materials that have a specific purpose. A classroom should also contain ceative materials, but every classroom needs a variety of activities - some creative & some that teach a specific concept or skill. Practical Life - This is an area that is infinitely expandable. It contains things like buttoning & zippering frames, brooms & mops, pouring & sponging. It can contain any activities that adults do that can be adapted for children & kids love this area. They love to get their hands on adult tools & objects, and it gives a big boost to their confidence, self-esteem & independence to be able to master these things. Math - This is an area that is basically sensorial, since it deals with physical amounts & quantity. Language - Montessori gave this area a sensorial base with the sandpaper letters & movable alphabet, but language is everywhere in the classroom - the book corner, playing with the sounds of letters, hearing poetry & songs, picking out words that rhyme, etc., etc. This area, too, is infinitely expandable. Art - Art materials are available to children all the time. (5) What is the difference between a Montessori & a non-Montessori nursery school? Montessori schools will probably have more materials that appear to be specifically "learning" materials, e.g. math & reading or pre-reading materials. Otherwise, it's not always clear what the differences are. Schools can vary pretty widely within the categories of "Montessori" & "non-Montessori", so you could probably find schools between those categories that are more similar than schools within these categories.

The Montessori Method:

(1) Structure the environment, not the child. What this means is that teachers plan what goes into their rooms - simpler & more basic materials are introduced early in the year and, as children master those, more complex materials are introduced during the course of the year. But within this thought-out structure, children have the freedom to choose what interests them & their choices are respected by the teachers.

(2) Teachers are observers first, then teachers. They understand that children's rates of development & interests vary widely and they evaluate children individually, figuring out what each child is ready for & interested in. Then they offer materials that are appropriate for that child.

(3) Early learning is sensorial, a literal hands-on experience. Aristotle said that all learning takes place first in the senses. Maria Montessori realized that this is how young children learn & all of her materials have a sensorial base - even language. She made sandpaper letters so that children could feel the letters as well as see & say them; she made the movable alphabet so that children can move letters around & make sounds/words when they are ready to do so.

(4) All Montessori classrooms are divided into certain areas:

(a) Sensorial - This area is characterized by materials like the pink tower, brown stair, red rods, sound boxes; what these materials do is give children a chance to use their senses to discover the order in things. For example, the red rods can be put in order from longest to shortest; the sound boxes can be matched according to loudness & quietness. (Some people regard this material as rigid & non-creative, but it seems legitimate to us to include classroom materials that have a specific purpose. A classroom should also contain ceative materials, but every classroom needs a variety of activities - some creative & some that teach a specific concept or skill.
(b) Practical Life - This is an area that is infinitely expandable. It contains things like buttoning & zippering frames, brooms & mops, pouring & sponging. It can contain any activities that adults do that can be adapted for children & kids love this area. They love to get their hands on adult tools & objects, and it gives a big boost to their confidence, self-esteem & independence to be able to master these things.
(c) Math - This is an area that is basically sensorial, since it deals with physical amounts & quantity.
(d) Language - Montessori gave this area a sensorial base with the sandpaper letters & movable alphabet, but language is everywhere in the classroom - the book corner, playing with the sounds of letters, hearing poetry & songs, picking out words that rhyme, etc., etc. This area, too, is infinitely expandable.
(a) Art - Art materials are available to children all the time.

(5) What is the difference between a Montessori & a non-Montessori nursery school? Montessori schools will probably have more materials that appear to be specifically "learning" materials, e.g. math & reading or pre-reading materials. Otherwise, it's not always clear what the differences are. Schools can vary pretty widely within the categories of "Montessori" & "non-Montessori", so you could probably find schools between those categories that are more similar than schools within these categories.