Curriculum Scope and Sequence

The first word, Curriculum, just refers to what is being taught. The curriculum for "Learning How to Bake" might be muffins, cakes and bread. There would be specific lessons and expectations for each part of the curriculum. There is a different curriculum for each area of the Montessori classroom: Practical Life, Math, Language Arts, Geometry, Culture, Sensorial and Art.

When we talk about Scope, we mean the overall picture. It's important to know where a child is coming from and where they are going so we can best serve them. Sometimes a specific material or activity won't work for a child. If we have an idea of what they know and the goal, we can often find something that will work better. The Montessori Method usually starts with the big picture and then we focus on the details.

The sequence is the order in which lessons should be introduced. The beauty of the Montessori Method is that the children build upon their previous knowledge in such a way that they can be confident and successful. In a Montessori environment, we aim to support the child's development individually, so no matter if they are "ahead" or "behind" where they might be in traditional education, they are working to the best of their ability. The sequence helps the adult to know what that specific child is working on. It's important to follow the sequence so that the child is absorbing information without getting frustrated. This is connected to Parallel Lessons, which I will discuss as my next term!

So where can you find Montessori Scope and Sequence? In Montessori training, they are provided or guides create a manual with the lessons and a scope and sequence. If you are just curious you can google the term and there are many websites that have the Montessori scope and sequence. You might be shocked at how many lessons a child would receive in a Montessori school!