In the Montessori classroom for ages 3-6, the ultimate goal for each individual is to achieve independence, confidence, and an interest in learning about his/her world through concentration on spontaneous developmental activity. During this time of development, children continue to be in the stage of the “absorbent mind,” what Maria Montessori referred to as a child’s unique ability to absorb knowledge quickly and effortlessly. They also are also in “sensitive periods” for order, language, movement, and sensorial development. Children take from the prepared environment all that they need to satisfy their developmental needs and prepare for abstract thought, use of fine motor skills like writing, and other activities in their elementary years. Children take great joy and pride in real and purposeful work, and in their ability to contribute to their community as active and helpful participants. Social development is fostered in the Montessori environment with children due to the multi-age classroom and through routines and protocols that cultivate the development of helpfulness, kindness, care, and compassion in relationship with others in natural, real-life situations.

The materials and activities available in the Montessori Primary classroom consist of a three-year cycle, through which the child achieves the integration of personality, that is the integration of his/her movement, intellect, & will. The result of concentrated work in the prepared environment within their ever-more-cohesive community is that the child develops physically, socially, and psychologically through the stages of obedience towards the third level of obedience in which Dr. Montessori observed that the child takes delight in obeying for the good of all, achieving both independence as well as solidarity in community. The child achieves emotional, intellectual, functional, and social independence appropriate for their age and plane of development. The child also achieves classification, consolidation, and crystallization of their language as a powerful tool of communication and self-expression, including the use of the written word. In the prepared environment, the child builds the necessary foundation for their passage to abstraction in numeracy/mathematics and higher order thinking.

Below you may see some of the “works” that are available in the Montessori Primary at Holy Family Classical School. These works constitute a three-year-cycle mentioned above, and the works are made available to the child as each child shows that they are developmentally ready for and interested in the next work in each area. The progression through the various areas is not linear in most cases, though some require preliminary skills to be acquired before the new work is introduced. Most materials are introduced by individual presentations given by the Guide, though some are presented in small groups. The progression of each child is unique based on the needs of that particular child. The Guide maintains a careful record of presentations as well as observations about each child as they work towards mastery of new skills.

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