Maria Montessori’s method was designed to lead the child to successful independence in all stages of development. She recognized the child’s need to “help me do it myself.” The foundation of the method is the Practical Life Exercises which assist the child in developing hand and eye coordination, orderly thought patterns, independent work habits, and builds within the child the ability to concentrate.

Activities in this area include the development of skills needed throughout their life such as dressing, cleaning, polishing, sweeping, cutting, setting a table, etc. When introduced to these lessons the child is developing an attention span and learning that he/she can take care of themselves and their environment. These basic skills give the child confidence, an aptitude of calmness, coordination of their movements and the development of pride within themselves.

Sensorial materials help the child to refine her/his five senses. Sensorial materials help the child develop an ability to sort things by size, shape, and color, touch sound and weight. Children have the opportunity to grade from dark to light, loud to quite, and large to small. The sensorial materials are mathematically graded and lay a solid foundation for the geometry, geography and mathematics. All sensorial materials have a built-in control of error. This control of error allows the child to self correct his work and therefore continues to support the child's desire for independence as he/she continues on his/her path towards self construction.

Language materials consist, first and foremost, of the spoken word of the classroom teachers and other adults (including the reading aloud of appropriate stories, poems, nonfictional writings, and the careful use of precise nomenclature when presenting Montessori and other materials). Enhancing awareness of what is heard (through formal and informal sound games), writing exercises (sandpaper letters, the sand tray, metal inset work), pre-reading work (matching cards, use of written materials in the classroom, and finally, early reading activities (phonetic object boxes, phonetic reading cards, phonogram cards) are part of every Montessori child's progression. Reading readiness is continuously assessed and appropriate presentations necessary for complete mastery of reading skills are made. A stimulating environment full of spoken language from birth directly prepares children for the world of written language. Writing is a product of children's desire for self-expression and reading comes easy to our children who have been exposed to many wonderful phonic materials and games. With the Montessori materials, children will develop an extensive vocabulary and be able to express themselves with assurance.

The child's mind has a natural tendency for counting, comparing and calculating. The Montessori materials are designed to allow the child an opportunity to exercise his mathematical mind moving him/her towards a gateway to abstraction. In the Montessori environment math is the most popular subject inspiring enthusiasm, interest and concentration. The concept of mathematics is initially presented to the child in its simplest form. Through sensorial experiences and indirect preparation, the child measures, compares and analyzes. These skills assist him/her in discriminating size and quantity.

Maria Montessori designed the curriculum of the cultural subjects as an interdisciplinary study of the life of man on earth throughout time and in all geographic regions. It includes the study of geography, history, music, art, botany and zoology. It encompasses all cultural subjects as part of a meaningful whole. Maria Montessori's primary goal was for education to help the child become a fully developed individual adapted to his time and place and culture; to be a citizen of tomorrow; a participant in a harmoniously functioning society.

As described above, cultural subjects — for example, geography, science, and art — are introduced as exercises falling more or less into one or the other of the four general "categories." Thus, the sandpaper and painted globes and the puzzle maps (sensorial materials) begin to give the child an understanding of geography. The continents are studied through exploration of large colorful puzzles. We celebrate the traditions and holidays of people from all the continents throughout the year with art projects, parent presentations, books, music and introduce clothing and food from all over the world!

Montessori realized the importance of movement in a learning environment. Yoga develops many wonderful qualities in children. In addition to the obvious benefits of exercising the physical body, both sharpen the child's ability to focus and give self-confidence and self-discipline. More professionals who work with children with autism, special needs, sensory integration, learning disabilities and ADD/ADHD are being trained to teach children's yoga--and with great results. Yoga is a natural for children, since it addresses the whole child, including the brain/body connection.

All young children have the ability to create, view, interpret, and appreciate fine art. Our program is organized around basic art concepts and techniques-line, shape, color, space, form and texture. It also explores composition through art appreciation. Our art projects build a child’s self esteem by persuading them to create their own masterpieces! Children are encouraged to explore different mediums such as clay, paint, collage, chalk, and much more!

The introductory Spanish Curriculum at Legacy Montessori will instill in the beginning student a sense of enjoyment of the Spanish language as well as an appreciation for the Spanish culture. Props used to teach and reinforce lessons at this level include puppets, concrete materials and fun music activities.

The goal of the music curriculum is to give children an opportunity to participate in the joy and expression of making music. They learn to identify basic tones and to read music. Through singing experiences students develop a knowledge of pitch, rhythm, timing, and melody. Music and movement activities bring joy to our environments!

It is our belief that the computer should be treated as an integral tool for learning. At Legacy Montessori each computer has educational games and children are encouraged to learn computer techniques by using computers regularly. Skills emphasized include: decision-making, cause-and-effect thinking, muscle control, directional and sequencing skills, the parts of the computer, and how to use the mouse and simple keyboard functions. At LMA, computer classes are a fun and exciting way to learn.