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CENTRE 

The centre belongs to the individual alone; it is seen as the starting point for the child's potential. According to Montessori, the child's psyche is a secret that outsiders must not touch, as it does not belong to them. Instead, it is important to learn to respect this secret.

Charts

Charts are diagrams that serve as Montessori material in the environment for primary school children (2nd stage of development). Originally, Montessori teachers drew a picture in a few strokes to give the children a visual impression in addition to what they were being told. Today, the charts are pre-printed with the numerous contents for the 2nd development phase. They are part of the international Montessori training programme.statement such as ‘Tom really likes puzzles’, which may or may not be true. Regular observation of individual children serves to identify the child's working rhythm and to describe the development of their ability to concentrate towards polarisation. This makes it possible to anticipate when and how the child will progress in their development and how we can support them appropriately.

CHILDREN'S HOUSE

The Montessori Children's House is a home for adolescents between the ages of 3 and 6 where children can live, learn and grow together. Everything necessary for optimal human development is available in a safe and accessible environment.

The international technical terms are: Primary, Casa dei Bambini and Children's House.

CLASSIFICATION

The young child practises categorisation because this process is essential for the development of the intellect. The child needs mental patterns and rules in order to orientate himself and develop his thoughts and actions. The prepared Montessori environment offers a wide range of opportunities for sorting, classifying, categorising and differentiating.

CONCENTRATION

‘The longer you deal with a subject, the better you master it. [...] An education designed to improve this ability would be the education par excellence’ (James 1892). Maria Montessori, who knew William James personally, did just that: she had recognised that the child's interest and energy should be focused on the aspect of the environment that best suited its developmental needs. To achieve this, it was necessary to provide suitable developmental materials in the child's environment for self-activity and to allow the child to choose freely.

COORDINATION OF MOVEMENT

The coordination of one's own movements is one of the greatest achievements of early childhood. Through their own efforts, children try to refine their muscle coordination. This gives them an ever-increasing degree of independence. Because of this developmental need, children are drawn to activities that involve movement, especially those that require a certain degree of accuracy and precision.

COSMIC EDUCATION

‘Cosmic Education’ is the name given to Maria Montessori's curriculum for the 2nd stage of development. However, not in the sense of a curriculum, but in the sense of an educational and development plan. Primary school children want to know everything and ask ‘why’ and ‘how’. Answering fundamental questions always has a holistic view of the world in mind. For Maria Montessori, the cosmos, i.e. the universe, represented an ordered space made up of laws and relationships. It was a central concern of Montessori that children learn about the connections and interdependencies. In this sense, the chart on interdependencies is one of the most important Montessori materials in a prepared environment in the 2nd stage of development. 

Cosmic education’ therefore primarily refers to the pedagogical concept for the second developmental phase of 6-12-year-old children. According to Maria Montessori, learning means enabling the child to understand the great connections and laws of the world, society and culture within the ‘cosmos’ from the very beginning. Montessori understands ‘cosmos’ to mean, on the one hand, knowledge of the laws of nature and, on the other, an awareness of the interdependencies between humans and nature as well as between humans themselves. In its implementation, the concept of Cosmic Education contains a variety of answers to the developmental needs of children aged 6-12.