Practical Life activities at Arbor View Montessori School develop concentration, fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Dr. Montessori wrote, “A child’s work is to create the person he or she will become. An adult works to perfect the environment, but a child works is to perfect his or herself."

Care of the environment, care of the self, grace and courtesy are emphasized in this area. Children take part in everyday activities such as food preparation, sweeping and mopping, tying shoes, and setting a table. Arbor View Montessori preschool helps develop concentration, coordination, and a sense of order.

Children learn basic concepts of mathematics in two ways; By using concrete materials during the years when they enjoy manipulating equipment; or by abstract materials when they are in elementary. Your child will learn the basic concepts of mathematics by using concrete materials during the preschool years.

The child in a Montessori classroom learns to control a pencil by filling in outlines, an activity which does not weary him or her because he or she enjoys it. To make the outline, he or she uses equipment known as the Metal Insets. Each inset represents a different geometric shape.

Montessori preschool programs offer parents an alternative to traditional school. Unfortunately, many parents are unaware of Montessori preschools and an even larger number of parents are unaware of Montessori methods and curriculum.

Dr. Montessori always pointed out that the young child has a natural sensitivity for language development which follows closely on the years when he or she learns to speak his or her native language (Montessori, 1966). The child at three, four and five has a unique fascination for words, both printed and spoken.

Indirect preparation for the motor technique of writing begins when the child uses the Cylinder Blocks. These are four oblong blocks of a natural colored wood. Each block contains ten cylinder shaped insets which can be handled by a knob attached to the top.

Many of the sensorial exercises are a remote preparation for academic learning. For example, the child who has learned to listen carefully will be able to perceive subtle differences in the sounds of the letters.

The child's first introduction to color is a box containing six tablets--two red, two blue and two yellow. All the other tablets are the same size, shape and texture. They differ only in highly contrasting color. In this exercise, the child pairs the tablets and learns...

The Smelling Jars consist of two sets of small jars with removable caps. These jars are identical in all respects except the flavoring which they contain. One has cinnamon, another mint, another coffee, another cloves, etc. Each jar has a distinct fragrance.