Calgary International
Montessori Academy
Our Program
​"Education is not something which a teacher does,
but it is a natural process which develops
spontaneously in human beings.
The first thing a child’s education demands
is the provision of an environment in which he can
develop the powers given him by nature." Maria Montessori
Five Areas of Learning
The Primary teacher provides a sequence of lessons and activities which naturally engage and challenge the young child. These lessons span five areas of learning, including:
1. Practical life and social skills: Practical living activities prepare your young child to care for themselves and their environment while gaining a sense of personal mastery and self-confidence. Performing such tasks as sweeping, polishing and washing, children develop coordination of movement, concentration, and the ability to follow a task through to completion. Beginning with practical and social skills to build independence and self-esteem, children learn to keep track of their belongings, to care for their environment, and to treat others with grace and respect.
2. Sensorial exploration: Scientifically developed Montessori materials are designed to heighten your child’s senses, thus allowing them to more deeply internalize, understand and classify their environment. Through distinguishing, categorizing and comparing concrete concepts such as shape, dimension and color, your child will develop a foundation for understanding the abstract.
3. Cultural studies: (including music and art, science and botany, history and geography) Your child will learn about people and cultures throughout the world through exploring their geographic region and topography, history, food, music, artifacts, holiday celebrations and other cultural observations.
4. Mathematics: Your child will learn basic mathematical functions and operations by using manipulative materials such as rods, beads, sandpaper numerals, cards and counters, which give concrete form to the abstraction of numbers. The Montessori materials are self-correcting, thus allowing your child to learn to solve mathematical problems based upon a real experience of the concept.
5. Language: The Montessori approach to language begins with the enrichment and building of new vocabulary through individual and small group language lessons. Simultaneously, your three year old will begin using simple sandpaper letterforms and alphabet cutouts to learn the sounds of letters and the ways they can connect to form simple phonetic words and, later, sentences and stories. Concurrently, your child will develop the small muscle coordination necessary to master writing, through the exercises of practical life and sensorial.
How does it work?
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Each Montessori classroom operates on the principle of freedom within limits. Every program has its set of ground rules which differs from age to age, but is always based on core Montessori beliefs - respect for each other, all living creatures and the environment. Children are free to work at their own pace with materials they have chosen, either alone or with others. The teachers rely on observations of the children to determine which new activities and materials they may introduce to individual children or to a small or large group. The aim is to encourage active, self-directed learning and to strike a balance of individual mastery with small group collaboration within the whole group community. The three-year-age span in each class provides a family-like grouping where learning can take place naturally. More experienced children share what they have learned while reinforcing their own learning. Because this peer group learning is intrinsic to Montessori, there is often more conversation-language experiences in the Montessori classroom than in conventional early education settings.
Group Lessons
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Although the greatest part of each morning is devoted to individual lessons and work, your child will also enjoy daily group activities such as singing, storytelling and outdoor play. Listening and speaking skills are emphasized as the children are introduced to cultural explorations which include spanish conversation, counting and songs.