Science For Everyday: A Montessori Based Science Curriculum
E. L. Galvin's science curriculum for the Montessori early childhood classroom, 156 pages in soft cover, 2001 edition. Seventy lesson activities are set out with suggestions for scheduling them month by month, and a full introduction covers how to integrate the lessons and how to assess them. What a curriculum book is really for is the year: anyone can find one good science activity, and the difficulty is having thirty five weeks of them that build on each other. Paper with spiral binding, for teachers.
“Education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment.”
Science For Everyday transforms abstract scientific concepts into concrete experiences through its month-by-month organization and hands-on experiments. The color-coded dividers in this curriculum guide children to independently select and sequence their scientific investigations, honoring their intrinsic motivation to understand natural phenomena.
- Scientific observation and documentation skills through guided experiments
- Understanding of cause and effect relationships in physical phenomena
- Development of scientific vocabulary and precise language
- Classification and categorization of natural materials and properties
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Each experiment in Science For Everyday connects to familiar objects and experiences, allowing children to discover scientific principles through manipulation of real materials. The curriculum's structured progression from simple observations to more complex experiments mirrors the child's developing capacity for abstract thought between ages 3-6. Science For Everyday provides the framework for children to become scientific observers of their environment, documenting discoveries through drawing and simple recording. The monthly organization allows teachers to integrate seasonal phenomena with the curriculum's experiments, creating meaningful connections between classroom learning and the natural world outside.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Organize the curriculum binder on a low shelf with experiment materials in labeled containers nearby. Create a dedicated science observation area with magnifying glasses, recording sheets, and pencils.
- 1
Select the current month's divider and review the week's experiment
Read through the entire experiment beforehand to gather all necessary materials - 2
Present the experiment materials on a tray, naming each item clearly
Allow children to explore materials freely before beginning the structured activity - 3
Demonstrate the experiment slowly, emphasizing observation points
Use minimal language during demonstration, letting the phenomenon speak for itself - 4
Invite the child to repeat the experiment independently
Resist correcting minor variations - these often lead to interesting discoveries - 5
Guide documentation through drawing or simple charts
Provide templates initially, gradually moving toward independent recording methods
Every Child Is a Little Creator
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