Children may enter into the Lower Elementary Program (ages 6—9 years) after completing kindergarten. The Elementary Program is from 8:30—3:00 Monday through Friday. The class has a maximum size of thirteen with one teacher.
At this level, children can explore advanced curriculum at their own pace and are able to practice activities individually or within small groups. They work within a more structured environment and have assigned work in addition to free choice. The morning section of the class emphasizes math, language, social studies, and science. There is also instruction in music, art, and foreign language. The morning is divided into three segments: large group time, individual work time, and outdoor activity.
Each session begins with a large group time which includes patterning, skip counting, songs, poems, sight word practice and group lessons/readings in an area of thematic study. Students then begin a two hour work period where they choose work from individual files of weekly assignments and receive individual lessons on reading, writing, and math from the teacher. After completing their assigned work, students may choose freely from a variety of educational Montessori and enrichment activities on the shelves. The work period closes with another large group time with singing, reading aloud from a chapter book, and individual skill review followed by outdoor activity.
The Language Arts curriculum provides practice in phonics, grammar and writing. Sight words are introduced throughout the year. Consonants and vowel patterns are reviewed, then blended. When students are ready, they practice long vowels made by “silent e” and double vowels. Blends, diagraphs and compound words follow. Students have many opportunities to read and write. They make books and keep journals throughout the year. As they are ready, they may bring home readers they have practiced at school. They study capitalization and punctuation, composition, alphabetizing and the function of nouns and verbs.
In Math, students work with patterning and problem solving. They review shapes and geometric solids such as trapezoid, quatrefoil, curvilinear triangle, sphere, ellipsoid, and rectangular prism and match them with written labels. They also review reading and writing numerals 0 – 9999 and above, compare inequalities (greater than and less than), begin adding and subtracting one, two, three and four digit numbers. When they are developmentally ready, they are introduced to multiplication and division into the millions, using concrete manipulatives. Students learn how to read a thermometer, work with solid and liquid measurement, count money, tell time on the hour, half hour, and quarter hour, and are introduced to fractions.
Science is taught in a series of units which include experiments and projects for: States of Matter, Light and Energy, the Human Body, Classification of Animals (mammals, reptiles, insects, etc.), Biomes, Layers of the Earth, Rocks and Minerals, Magnets, Dinosaurs, Solar System, Simple Machines, Environmental Studies, Earth’s Hydrosphere, Lithosphere and Atmosphere.
Social Sciences are also taught in units throughout the year and include: Grace and Courtesy, Me and My Family, Colonial America, Civics, Winter Celebrations around the World, Presidents of the United States, Famous Americans, Maps and Globes, Continental Studies, and Peace Education.
The Music curriculum includes singing and learning cultural and traditional folk dances. Students learn to play a variety of rhythm instruments such as maracas, claves, tambourines, guiros, cymbals, triangles, drums, and chimes. They learn to read rhythms composed of quarter, eighth, whole and half notes and rests. They also have opportunity to play melodies on desk bells and “Boomwhacker” tubes. Children listen, move to, and tell the story of classical compositions for children such as, “Peter and the Wolf,” and “The Carnival of Animals” while learning about the Families of Instruments (woodwind, brass, string, percussion, etc.).
Art is an important part of the curriculum. Children experiment with various techniques and mediums: collage, drawing, painting, sculpting, chalk, paint, crayon resist, adhesives, oil pastels, clay, torn paper. They also learn about the elements of art: line, shape, form, space, texture, color, and value (differences in hue).
Children are exposed to Foreign Language in cultural units of study through songs and games. Children learn songs, poems and phrases in Swedish, Chinese, and German throughout the year. American Sign Language is explored and basic Spanish is introduced.
The students who stay all day bring a sack lunch and eat at 11:45, followed by clean up and a short work period. In the afternoon, a period of outdoor activity is followed by a large group time with singing and reading aloud. Individual work in Math, Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop, Science and Social Studies is followed by whole group Special Focus Classes.
These Special Focus Classes include Adventure Aerobics, an exciting physical education program designed by a team of physical and occupational therapists to enhance the physical fitness of all children. It combines a warm-up, aerobic activity, and a cool-down with imaginative story-telling and music.
Music studies are extended by piano lessons, where they learn basic music theory as well as an introduction on how to play the piano. The music and lives of famous composers are also studied in the afternoon.
The Extended Day children participate in an expanded Art program and are introduced to the Principles of Design: repetition, pattern, rhythm, balance, emphasis, contrast and unity. Students study the lives and work of famous artists and experiment with imitating elements of their style.
Throughout the day, computers are available with programs that allow children to practice the skills they are working on in math, reading, writing, research skills, science, geography and mapmaking.
