The classroom materials are arranged in areas of learning – Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Languages, Cultural subjects, Science, The Arts and Physical Education.
Practical Life – Children learn skills that are necessary in daily life, such as preparation of food, pouring liquids, tying shoelaces, care for plants and washing dishes. The young child soon develops a perception of herself/himself as a capable and competent person, able to approach tasks with confidence.
Grace and Courtesy – Learning to work and play alongside others is a vital practical life skill. Children are introduced to the language of the Virtues Project, becoming aware of the value of kindness, courtesy, peacefulness, responsibility and many other virtues valued in cultures around the world.
Sensorial – Children work with materials the encourage them to focus and refine their senses, to observe in greater details, to hear, taste, smell or feel with more awareness. These skills enable them to understand and appreciate the physical world more fully.
Children learn to use precise vocabulary – from adjectives such as long, short, broad, narrow, deep, shallow, to naming the sphere, cube, cylinder, prism and pyramid.
Language – Children are introduced to a series of learning tools that give them an understanding of the phonetic sounds of letters. They are encouraged to build words using the Moveable Alphabet, and then progress to decoding printed words.
Mathematics – the tactile learning materials make abstract concepts clear and concrete, enabling children to gain a real understanding of mathematics and geometry. Beginning with counting the Number Rods and tracing the Sandpaper Numerals, through learning about the decimal hierarchies, and the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Cultural Studies – Children are introduced to the world we live in through materials such as globes, maps and flags, and through learning the names of continents, countries and oceans. The children study collections of pictures and objects from different parts of the world to gain an understanding of the different habitats, climates and geographical features to be found.
Science – Children are encouraged to observe, analyse, classify, predict and measure, using hands-on materials. The experiment with concepts such as magnetic fields, pulleys, plant growth, colour and electric circuits.
