The integrated curriculum is one of the Montessori Method’s great strengths. The curriculum ties together studies of the physical universe, the natural world and human experience. Each lesson builds on the previous one in a spiral of learning, with the curriculum building carefully over time. This method differs from the traditional model of education which often has compartmentalized subject areas where topics are sometimes covered only once at specific grade levels. This approach brings together diverse concepts and is presented across the curriculum in different ways as children progress through each grade.
The Montessori Method allows for each subject area to complement one another and shows the child the interconnectedness of all things. For example, the children may have a lesson on the Ancient Civilization of Greece. Based on that lesson, they may decide to research Greek Mythology and proceed to write their own Greek Myth in dramatic form, designing and preparing their own costumes and stage sets, composing musical accompaniment and sound effects, creating a program, selling tickets and finally presenting their play to an audience of peers, younger students and parents. This example illustrates how history, language, technology, math, commerce, art, music and drama integrate in one self-directed project.
