What to Know About Cultural Curriculum in Montessori Teacher Training

When you enter a Montessori classroom, the environment is likely to be where kids are working independently or with their peers, the teachers imparting advices on certain lessons or small groups of students moving freely for some activity. When you look closely at the activities, you can see a similar sight where the students are using various materials. Those studying items help to develop some skill or the other. While one student might be looking at a puzzled map of Asia, the other student can be counting the math bead.

This is what is called the cultural curriculum.

Inside a Montessori classroom, the study methodology is divided into three primary areas - math, language and culture.

The cultural curriculum is an integrated study which has biology, history, geography and physical science. While math and language are definitely essential to learn while growing up, unlike the traditional classrooms the Montessori trained kids understand the importance of cultural studies as well. This means, a student of same age passing from a Montessori and the non Montessori background will have different expertise on subjects.

The Montessori teacher certification allows education givers to learn about comprehensive syllabus that features all these subjects. The trained teachers in Montessori syllabus help in imparting the students various cultural skills and lessons with a responsive attitude. This helps in developing 'the curiosity of the absorbent mind.'

Introducing the lessons such as earth science or political geography can be very interesting at a young age. For instance, in the early childhood cultural curriculum which encompasses subjects like zoology, botany, geography, physical science and history the kids are introduced to a different world all together. The teacher uses two globes - the first one represents the water and land areas and the second one introduces the kids to the seven different continents which are marked in seven distinct colors so that children can learn the name and location of each continent. So, in the next step of growing up, they can understand the map and the puzzles. Similarly, physical science teaching kids are exposed to different types of shells, rocks and other earthly elements. They can view it with a magnifying glass or can conduct simple experiments such as 'magnetic and non-magnetic', 'sink and float', 'solid, liquid & gas', or 'transparent and opaque'. Upon growing, they will learn about volcanoes, solar system, weather and more.

Cultural curriculum in Montessori teacher certification has a special place because that portion of the syllabus will help the kids introduced to the physical world of plants and animals, different races, various parts of the world and some unique cultural environment. Unconsciously, when taught with the right guidance, they will grow skills in sequencing, observation, prediction, questioning, categorizing, comparing, organising and contrasting. They will develop the habit of critical thinking right from the elementary level. Elementary students have an inherent imagination and curiosity which must be used to invoke their potential. Let them discover the inner workings of the cosmos by themselves. You as a teacher can design some activities that can create the spark in the student's interest automatically.