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The Montessori Developmental Continuum, continued
Copyright © 1996-2007 NAMTA. All rights
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The Montessori Middle
School Program
Unlike the other Montessori age levels, there
is at present no international consensus defining Montessori secondary
education. What follows is a composite of the programs of several
existing Montessori middle schools.
 Middle
school ushers in a new level of independence, which must be provided
for in the Montessori environment by increasing activity from the
point of view of work level, choices, and planning. In the middle
school, the Great Lessons, timelines, and charts are replaced with
overviews of general sequences of learning for which the student
becomes responsible in the context of an integrated whole. Within
this overview, the student has open time to collaborate on both
self-initiated and instructor-initiated projects.
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Open time allows for individualized instruction, a natural pace
for absorption of material presented for both mastery and emotional
understanding, unlimited depth of pursuit based on student interest,
and release time to study art, science, music, business, and other
topics students choose. |
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The general premise for the adolescent program is that it must
bring into consciousness the moral and world view of the elementary
years. Philosophical ideas related to natural history and cultural
history now come into play. Great Lessons evolve into great ideas
derived from a serious approach to the humanities. For example, "life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" may be tied to a specific
part of American history, but this ideal also has a life in the history
of philosophy and literature. |
Consistent with the moral relationships stressed in the elementary
program, the adolescent can make great cognitive leaps while integrating
ideas and values in conjunction with current events, home life, or
community activities. |
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Service programs such as working in a soup kitchen,
farming as a community venture, and apprenticeships or mentorships
in the workplace are part of an advancing "going out" that
gives the adolescent a combined vocational and liberal arts curriculum
with a particular emphasis on economic enterprise. |
Adolescent programs characteristically have discrete
spaces for specialized activities: photo lab, science lab, stage,
art room, and lesson rooms all adjacent to open space that unifies
the siderooms. |
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| The following curriculum areas are offered in
the Montessori middle school: |
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- Social sciences, science, and geography: The
student integrates history utilizing themes from earlier studies
in natural and cultural history, including interdependency, evolution,
life cycles, matter and energy, behavior and culture, mental health,
physical health, agriculture, government, manufacturing, communication,
world systems, earth preservation, and so on, in the context of
social responsibility and governance. Primary readings from each
historical period are emphasized.
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Language arts: The student
develops confidence in self-expression utilizing the seminar,
oral presentation, debates, drama, video, photography, essays,
play-writing, poetry, and short stories; explores related accounts
of historical and philosophical material through literature utilizing
components of style, genre, characterization, interpretation,
and the art of discussion.
- Second language and grammar: The
student revisits grammar through the study of a second language
and reviews complex sentences and paragraph structure in English.
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Mathematics: The
student uses higher-order thinking skills to solve problems in
relation to a variety of challenges, from practical money transactions
to algebraic relationships; explores in-depth numbers, properties,
simple equations, higher measurement, computer calculation and
graphics, geometric proofs, and algebraic equations.
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Practical management: The student manages reality-based
operations in economic enterprises including agriculture, fund-raisers,
travel, volunteerism and service, apprenticeship, and computer programming.
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Fine arts: The student utilizes
a discipline-based arts education plan which presents individual
artistic areas of painting, acting, singing, composing, photography,
dance, and sculpture, and includes a general education for aesthetic
literacy which integrates the arts with other academic endeavors.
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Farming (optional): The
student engages in elements of farming as an economic enterprise
through the care of plants and animals, the maintenance of simple
machines, the understanding of land use, and the operations of
accounting, sales, personnel records, and working relations in
ongoing projects.
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About
Montessori > Ages
& Stages > Middle School
in
affiliation with Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), Amsterdam, Netherlands
