The Montessori Program

Toddler Class

The Beginning Montessori program is designed for children 18 months to 3 years of age. The classroom is equipped with toddler-size furnishings and materials that invite the child to touch, manipulate, and learn. It provides an atmosphere where basic motor coordination, independence, and language development are fostered and individual personality is respected.  In a Montessori classroom, the goal is to promote social, emotional and cognitive growth in the child. It is a nurturing social community where young children learn to participate in a cooperative group.

Primary Class

Children in the Primary Montessori program (3-6 years of age) possess what Dr. Maria Montessori called “the absorbent mind.”  This simply means that the child’s mind is like a sponge and absorbs everything in his environment.  The classroom is divided into the following areas:

PRACTICAL LIFE - The exercises of practical life are those daily activities that help the child acquire independence, coordination of movement, concentration, and lessons of grace and courtesy.  The exercises of practical life lay the basic foundation for all other areas and provide indirect preparation for sensory integration, logic, and language.

  • Lessons include:
  • Development of grace and courtesy- manners and social relations
  • Practical skills - grasping and controlling, scooping and spooning, pouring, stringing and lacing
  • Care of person - grooming and dressing frames
  • Care of the Environment - cleaning sweeping, washing, polishing, caring for plants/animals, using tools, and caring for an outdoor environment

SENSORIAL - Sensorial education is central to the Montessori method.  It allows the children to build cognitive skills by touching, seeing, smelling, tasting, listening and exploring the properties of their environment.

  • Lessons include:
  • Putting equipment in order based on size, thickness, length
  • Working with geometric shapes
  • Matching fabrics and textures
  • Matching fragrances

LANGUAGE - Language development allows children to experience conversations, stories and poetry. In the Montessori environment, the sandpaper letters help children link sound with symbol. From there, the movable alphabet, phonogram booklets and metal insets promote reading and writing skills.

  • Lessons include:
  • Matching
  • Sorting, Classifying, and Sequencing
  • Pictures and Stories
  • Auditory Preparation
  • Sound Games
  • Pre-Reading
  • Sandpaper Letters
  • Movable Alphabet
  • Reading
  • Labeling Objects and Pictures
  • Learning the Function of Words (Noun, Adjectives, etc.)


MATHMATICAL - Mathematical activities include concrete materials that allow the child to experience the four basic math operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This work provides the foundation for abstract reasoning and helps the child develop problem-solving capabilities.

  • Lessons include:
  • Counting
  • Number Recognition
  • Quantitiy Awareness
  • One- to-One Correspondence
  • Association of Numeral and Quantitiy

GEOGRAPHY, BIOLOGY, BOTANY, ZOOLOGY, ART & MUSIC - These are presented as extensions of the sensorial and language activities. Lessons
and experiences with nature inspire a reverence for all life. The art and music programs allow the children to develop their creative skills. The study of people and cultures of the world help them to feel connected with all people.



CMA offers both toddler and kindergarten programs for ages 2 to 6 at both campuses. With the 02-2003 school year we have added Countryside Montessori Charter School for grades 1 through 3. During this school year our charter program is located at our Land O'Lakes campus.