Wimbledon Park Montessori School

The Montessori Material

Montessori education is characterised by its use of specific equipment and materials. These guide the child from the simple to the complex, and from the concrete to the abstract. Many of the pieces of equipment are designed to include a control of error. This allows the child to recognize their own mistakes, and then correct them.  The control of error ensures that the task cannot be fully completed unless it is done so correctly.

Traditionally, the Montessori method separates the child’s education into five main areas:

Practical Life,

Sensorial Development,

Language and Literacy,

Mathematics, and

Knowledge and Understanding of the World.

Some of these areas are mirrored exactly within the Early Learning Goals, as set out by Ofsted, and form part of the Pre-School Curriculum.  The other areas such as Sensorial Development and Practical Life are used throughout the curriculum.  They are the essence of learning through experience, and compliment more traditional teaching methods. 

Sensorial Development uses objects such as sand paper letters and numbers, to allow the child to experience the shapes rather than just being shown them.  It utilises the ability to learn through experience rather than by rote.

Practical life equipment utilises, where possible, true life objects and aims to develop fine motor skills.  It uses objects such as spoons and jugs to practice pouring; "dressing frames" which allow practice of buckles, zips, buttons etc.; and the water and sand trays through which the child can experience different textures and liquids.

The Curriculum