Montessori and EYLF
Montessori Academy delivers a blended curriculum that incorporates both the Montessori Curriculum and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). These programs work together to enhance children’s learning and development during their crucial formative years.
What’s the Difference Between Montessori and EYLF?
Montessori Education and the Australian Government’s Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) work hand-in-hand to positively support children’s learning and development from birth to age six. Each curriculum provides children with a different approach to learning that ultimately supports their ‘Being, Belonging, and Becoming.’
The EYLF provides direction for educators to work in partnership with families to identify children’s strengths and interests, implement effective teaching strategies, and to support them in making a smooth transition to primary school. It focuses on play-based learning strategies that are informed by children’s interests. Learning outcomes focus on five key learning outcomes.
The EYLF is a key component of the National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care. The framework offers a vision where ‘all children experience learning that is engaging and builds success for life’. Families looking for more information on the EYLF can use the Information for Families Guide.
Montessori is an approach to early childhood education that is personalised to each child’s learning style, stage of development, and interests. Children develop complete academic and wellbeing foundations through hands-on experience, real-world application, and problem solving.
The Montessori Curriculum enhances the EYLF by providing children with the optimal learning environment, materials, and guidance to discover their full potential. The Montessori Curriculum covers five key learning areas that focus on nurturing strong academic and wellbeing foundations. Montessori learning provides children with hands-on learning experiences using educational materials that teach real-life skills and inspire a love of learning.
Link Between Montessori & EYLF
- Children have a strong sense of identity: The Montessori framework provides children with freedom, independence and choice to develop a strong sense of self.
- Children are connected with and contribute to their world: Montessori Education nurtures real-life skills, an appreciation for diversity, and strong social-skills that empower children to contribute to the world.
- Children have a strong sense of well-being: Montessori Education is equally focused on developing children’s sense of wellbeing and strong academic foundations.
- Children are confident and involved learners: The Prepared Environment is designed to encourage freedom of movement and choice that empowers children to direct their own learning.
- Children are effective communicators: Montessori learning nurtures the development of effective communication, grace and courtesy, literacy, and social skills.
How Montessori and the EYLF Work Together
Practical Life
Through Montessori Practical Life activities children develop the following skills that link to the EYLF:
- Demonstrate increasing awareness of the needs and rights of others
- Are open to new challenges and taking considered risks
- Approach new safe situations with confidence
- Begin to initiate negotiating and sharing behaviours
- Make choices and decisions
Sensorial
- Uses and names a range of tools, resources and techniques in investigations
- Uses his/her senses to explore natural and built environments and materials for use in play situations
- Explores the purpose and function of a range of tools
- Manipulates and experiments with resources to investigate, take apart, assemble, invent and construct
- Utilises the senses to gain information when exploring the world around them
Mathematics
Through Montessori Mathematics activities children develop the following skills that link to the EYLF:
- Engage in simple investigations and explorations
- Apply a wide range of thinking strategies to solve problems
- Persist when faced with challenges and when first attempts are not successful
- Uses reflective thinking to consider why things happen and what can be learned
- Develops investigative skills through instructive play and experiential learning
Language
Through Montessori Language activities children develop the following skills that link to the EYLF:
- Attempts to ‘read’ and shares texts for personal purposes
- Explores texts from a range of different perspectives
- Actively uses, engages with, and shares their enjoyment of language
- Investigates words and word meanings
- Makes connections between text and their own experiences and ideas
- Identifies some elements of books and conventional texts
- Recognises components of text, e.g. letters, words, sentence, pictures, page, title, author, illustrator
- Recognises own written name
Care for the Environment
Through Care for the Environment children develop the following skills that link to the EYLF:
- Considers the importance of picking up own rubbish
- Demonstrates increasing knowledge of, and respect for natural and constructed environments
- Explores relationships with other living and non-living things and observe, notice and respond to change
- Develops an awareness of the impact of human activity on environments and the interdependence of living things
- Demonstrates respect for plants, animals, places
- Takes responsibility for own actions
Grace and Courtesy
Through Grace and Courtesy children develop the following skills that link to the EYLF:
- Engages in and contributes to shared play experiences
- Expresses a range of emotions, thoughts and views constructively
- Displays awareness and respect of others’ perspectives
- Reflects on their actions and considers consequences for others
- Expresses empathy for others
- Recognises own and others emotions
- Shows interest in other children and being part of a group
Montessori Learning Outcomes
- Children develop holistically with an equal focus on academics and overall wellbeing
- Children develop independence, concentration, and real-life skills
- Children express a range of emotions, reflect on their actions, and demonstrate awareness of others perspectives
- Children develop investigative skills, ask questions, and apply a range of thinking strategies to problem-solve
- Children use their senses to explore, investigate, and create
- Children participate in physical activities and follow the rules of the games
- Children show self-confidence and interact well with others
- Children respond to challenges and demonstrates problem-solving skills
- Children demonstrate care for the environment and an interest in sustainability
EYLF Learning Outcomes
There are five key outcomes of the EYLF:
- Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity
- Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
- Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of well-being
- Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners
- Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators
Where to next? Montessori Education Programs
Montessori Education Programs inspire children towards a lifelong love of learning by appealing to their interests, encouraging them in directing their own learning, and by fulfilling their developmental need for independence and self-mastery. Through Montessori Education Programs, children become confident, independent learners, with the knowledge and skills to thrive at school and in life.