Montessori Curriculum
Turning your child’s inner potential to lifelong skills
The Montessori Method at Work
Dr. Maria Montessori believed that children learn because they are motivated by a natural curiosity and love for knowledge. Children develop most of their basic attitudes and values about life and learning during their preschool years. Norbeck Montessori students “learn how to learn” via the time-tested, trusted Montessori curriculum.
“Turning your child’s inner potential to lifelong skills”
Areas of instruction
At our Montessori preschool and kindergarten in Rockville, Maryland, our instruction includes the areas:
-
Practical Life
-
Sensorial Development
-
Language Arts
-
Mathematics
-
Science
-
Social Studies
Our Montessori curriculum stresses self-education and training through the use of movement and senses. We also offer a Pre-Primary program, summer camps, extended day programs, and Spanish integrated classes!
The best way to learn about Norbeck Montessori is to come visit us! Schedule a tour of our Rockville preschool today.
Practical Life (Everyday Living Skills) for Montessori Kids
At Norbeck Montessori, we want children to learn and grow by providing them with meaningful, real, practical activities for use in life. The lessons found in the Practical Life area of the classroom provide those real-life experiences for children. In addition, these lessons.
-
Help children to develop independence
-
Promote concentration
-
Encourage taking responsibility
-
Involve large and small muscle development (which helps a child to learn to control their movements)
These Practical Life Montessori lessons may also include:
-
Sewing
-
Pouring liquids
-
Sweeping
-
Dusting
-
Polishing
-
Table washing
Montessori Sensorial Education Curriculum
At the early preschool age, children are becoming keenly aware of their five senses. The Sensorial Education area of our Rockville Montessori classroom helps children develop and sort out all the impressions they are feeling with their senses. Dr. Montessori believed that with the opportunity for a child to explore through sensorial activities, the child would become more intelligent.
Through the use of sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound, a child at Norbeck Montessori begins to explore, observe, and become aware of the physical world they are in.
Sensorial activities help the preschool child learn to discriminate among the various senses and feel a sense of order, and also help prepare him/her to be a logical, aware, and perceptive person.
The sensorial materials at Norbeck Montessori in Rockville assist the child in developing an understanding that forms the basis for abstract thought.
Language and Arts Lessons
One of the most amazing things about preschool children is that there is no need to “teach” them language—we only need to organize and provide the content and the child will absorb it. At Norbeck Montessori, we prepare the proper environment that enables them to develop language on their own. Here are some of the different ways we guide children’s language development:
-
In our Montessori classroom, it’s rarely silent during a work cycle! The children are constantly conversing and listening to both friends and teachers for exposure to new vocabulary.
-
Children in our Montessori preschool and kindergarten classrooms learn to write and read faster and with more ease by exposing them to the phonetic sounds vs. letter/symbol recognition.
-
As language becomes more elevated and refined, we introduce more structured reading and writing lessons. Children will begin with lessons such as the Sandpaper Letters and the Movable Alphabet, then move on to three-letter Word Cards and eventually to reading and writing stories independently.
We believe in helping your child build a strong foundation for education and growth.
Math Curriculum at Norbeck Montessori in Rockville
Mathematics teaches our preschool students a different way of looking at the world. Our Montessori Math curriculum provides a language for understanding and expressing measurable relationships. Our preschoolers have the capacity to reason, calculate, and estimate. They are naturally conscious of quantity and counting, whether it’s pebbles on the beach or cookies for dessert.
The mathematics materials at Norbeck Montessori build upon each other in increasing complexity:
-
Preschool and kindergarten students start by learning quantity and then the symbol that quantity represents.
-
This eventually leads to a child incorporating quantity and symbols to perform more and more complex mathematics operations.
-
This Montessori process allows for the child to experience the thrill of discovery as part of a natural progression.
Cultural Lessons for Montessori Kids
The culture areas of Norbeck Montessori’s curriculum include a variety of subjects like science, geography, and history.
-
Science – Our Montessori preschool’s science curriculum is designed to pique a child’s natural curiosity and help them discover answers to their “why” and “how” questions. Science also helps students follow a simple thought process: question, test, observe, conclude. Norbeck Montessori in Rockville incorporates the exploration of earth science, physical science, biology, botany, and zoology into the everyday experiences of the child.
-
Geography – Learning geography enables children to make sense of the world around them. At Norbeck Montessori, we introduce children to the broad concept of the world, then narrow it down to various land and water formations. We study everything from individual cultures, continent maps, landmarks, capitals, and flags.
-
History – History in the Montessori classroom focuses primarily on the passage of time, which is a difficult concept for children to grasp. At Norbeck Montessori, we teach this concept in a way that makes it understandable and fun! We start by discussing seasons, then incorporate the months of the year, days of the week, hours of the day, and finally telling time.
Culture is one of the most interesting areas for all our little Montessori preschool and kindergarten learners!
Come see our Montessori curriculum in action! Visit Norbeck Montessori in Rockville today to learn more about our preschool and kindergarten programs.
Preschool Tours & Applications for Norbeck Montessori
Are you ready to see us in action? Or do you just have a few more questions? Either way, we would love to speak with you. Visit our Info and Tours page to contact us or schedule a tour.
Enrollment opens every January for the upcoming summer and fall sessions and we take applicants on a first come first served basis.
Is Norbeck Montessori Near Me?
Although our Montessori school is located in Rockville, we have kindergarten students who come from surrounding areas, including Aspen Hill, Colesville, Gaithersburg, Glenmont, Norbeck, Olney, Shady Grove, Silver Spring, Wheaton, and nearby areas of Montgomery County.
Stop by and see our Norbeck Montessori school in action.
Ask a Question
The Enrichment Programs
We offer
Turning your child’s inner potential to lifelong skills.
Spanish Enrichment
Our Spanish-English bilingual preschool and kindergarten classrooms offer a traditional Montessori experience in an environment that integrates both languages.
Fine Arts
Extra Curricular
Testimonials
What Parents Say
We believe that clear communication with parents is essential to the child’s wellbeing. It is particularly important during the early preschool years when children reach and surpass many developmental milestones. Naturally, we work diligently to help each of the children to be best taken care of. That is the reason why the parents give us best reviews. Here are a few of them.
Stacey Guedes2018-10-25My children have been at Norbeck for 5 years and our experience has been nothing but amazing. They are treated and cared for with love and respect. They enjoy going to school every day and have learned how to be independent children both in the classroom and in every day life. They have grown to be upstanding and courteous young ladies
fiorella pasara2018-10-09This place is amazing! When we were looking for a daycare or preschool where to send our 3 year old back then, we did some research and went to different places and realize this was the only one where you could see the kids and the teachers happy and having a great time (remember that's the environment you want your kids to grow in). So we decided for Norbeck and that was the best decision ever! Our son had the best experience during his 4 years there. We even kept him in the Kindergarten program (AMAZING). He learned so much and grew emotionally and socially as well. Great foundation and such a loving atmosphere for the kids. I could not recommend a better place. And BTW did I said he learned reading by 4 years and has started 1st grade knowing addition, subtraction and multiplication? Yep that's how great this place is :)
Nisha Patel2015-12-03Norbeck Montessori has been the most amazing experience for us! Our daughter has been there for over a year and absolutely loves it. The teachers are amazing and make you and your child feel welcome, nurtured and loved! And, the lessons they do on a daily basis are so fun and educational at the same time. Definitely recommend to any parents looking for a positive and warm environment for their kids, and be prepared to be part of a small and loving family!
Melanie Deal2015-12-03What would I have done without Norbeck? This is my daughter's second year and every day I am more and more amazed about how much she is learning. She is only 4 years old and she is able to read, write and count to 100. The activities that the school coordinates through the year nurtures a sense of community/family, events include Halloween parade, Thanksgiving feast, Christmas song festival and much more! She loves her school, teachers and friends. I highly recommend this school.
Reese Alutto-Schmidt2015-12-02Our son has had a wonderful experience at Norbeck. The teachers and staff are incredibly energetic and positive -- they are uniformly dedicated to nurturing and teaching kids. Everyone clearly loves their jobs. The school's parent community is welcoming and active for those parents that are interested. We plan to send our second child next year!
Laura Calderone2015-10-13We love Norbeck! The staff are amazing taking care of our children like warm and nurturing parents and help guide them on their educational journey. Our 5 year old is already reading, doing fractions and loves the science class. Our 3 year old knows Spanish phrases and can write his own name. Your child will cultivate incredible skills and gain all the tools they need to be driven, focusing amazing people.
Lesley Lightfoot2015-02-01My son has only been with Norbeck Montessori for 2.5 months (at the time of this review). The progress, and noticed development that has happened during that time has been incredible for my husband and I to see. He has grown socially, physically, and mentally, all thanks to what is offered at the school from the moment of drop off, until we see him at the end of the day. We feel assured that he is with Norbeck Montessori.
Beth Davis2014-12-05Norbeck Montessori is one of those rare places where children can go to learn in a loving and supportive environment full of enrichment opportunities and amazing teachers. Norbeck has been a part of our family for nearly three decades. As a Norbeck alumni, I would not want to see my kids anywhere else. My children started attending the school ten years ago, when my oldest was 2 ½, and we have remained in the Norbeck family as each of our children has grown to preschool age. In the past ten years we have had three children attend Norbeck, one of whom is in the Jr. K program this year. Today, many of the same kind and smiling faces of teachers we have known for years welcome us with open arms each morning. Tara and Ryan along with Keira have done an amazing job of revamping the program and adding fresh new extracurricular programs like soccer, gymnastics and cooking classes. Norbeck is not only an amazing environment for children to learn and grow, it is a true community atmosphere where families come together and form lifelong friendships. Some of my closest friendships started at Norbeck and my oldest daughter is still very close friends with several of the friends she made at Norbeck over ten years ago. A first grade teacher from our local elementary school recently approached me and said “Your daughter is a Norbeck kid, isn’t she?" When I confirmed, she continued, saying "I can tell. The kids from that school come in here heads and shoulders above so many other kids. Not only are they working at higher levels in reading and math, they have a strong grasp of science and an appreciation for art and music that we don’t see coming out of other programs.” And it is true. Sending our kids to Norbeck has been an investment in their future. My oldest, who is now in 7th grade, and my second child, now in 1st, are both receiving accelerated instruction in all subjects. I cannot say enough great things about this amazing school that has contributed so much to the education and enrichment of my family.