Montessori Curriculum Guide

Lower School Curriculum Guide for Coed Montessori Early Childhood Age 2 - Kindergarten

2017-2018

DISCOVER YOUR GIFTS. LIVE YOUR SPIRIT.

What Makes Montessori Education Unique?

The “Whole Child” Approach A primary goal of a Montessori program is to help each child reach full potential in all areas of life. His or her physical, emotional, social, aesthetic, spiritual, and cognitive needs and interests are considered inseparable and equally important.

The Montessori curriculum, under the direction of a specially-educated teacher, provides the resources and atmosphere for exploration and discovery, allows students to experience the joy of learning, promotes the development of self-esteem, and fosters respect for one’s self, for others, and for the environment.

The “Prepared Environment” In order for self-directed learning to take place, the whole learning environment – room, materials, and social climate – must be supportive of the learner. The teacher provides necessary resources, including opportunities for children to function in a safe and positive climate. The teacher thus gains the children’s trust, which enables them to try new things and build self-confidence.

The Montessori Materials Dr. Montessori’s observations of the kinds of activities that children enjoy and go back to repeatedly led her to design a number of multi-sensory, sequential, and self-correcting materials that facilitate the learning of skills and lead to learning of abstract ideas.

The Teacher The Montessori teacher functions as a facilitator of learning. As such, she is a designer of the environment, resource person, guide, role model, demonstrator, and meticulous observer and recorder of each student’s behavior and growth.

The preparation of a Montessori teacher is specialized and extensive. To qualify for an American Montessori Society (AMS) credential, candidates must graduate from an AMS-affiliated Montessori teacher education program that includes a year of supervised student teaching. An AMS teacher’s preparation is focused on the age level with which he or she will work (i.e., infant and toddler, early education, elementary, or secondary).

Art, Physical Education, and Music Classes The students in the Montessori program have the opportunity for full participation in our special classes, which include art, physical education, and music. The specials’ class curriculum is a complement to skills covered in the regular classroom and help to develop a well-rounded student.

“BE WHO YOU ARE AND BE THAT WELL.” - ST. FRANCIS DE SALES

TODDLERS Visitation’s Montessori Toddler program offers children between the ages of two and three a unique year of learning and growth in a gentle atmosphere of love, understanding and respect. The Toddler classroom is a “prepared environment” offering a variety of materials with which children are free to work. Children are encouraged to explore the environment and are guided by the teacher as necessary.

RELIGION: The children are exposed to religion in a variety of ways in the classroom. They learn to “Live Jesus” and treat each other and their environment with respect. They say a prayer before meals and learn to thank God for His wonderful gifts. They listen to Bible stories, sing religious songs, and visit the Chapel.

PRACTICAL LIFE: The Practical Life area of the classroom provides the foundation for future learning. Through the use of the activities, the child develops the skills of order, concentration, coordination, and independence. The activities are designed to enable the child to explore their environment through movement while gaining harmony with their brain, senses, and muscles. This area gives the child direction and movement through repetition and promotes confidence to face challenges and change. The activities in the Practical Life area appeal to the young child’s sensitive period of order, imitation and self-awareness. These include grasping, spooning, using tongs, pouring beans and water, scooping, opening and closing, stringing beads, and care of the environment through the use of sponges and a broom and dustpan.

SENSORIAL: The Sensorial area of the classroom allows children to explore the world around them through the senses. These exercises help the child develop a keener eye for discrimination of contrasts and minute details.

Each material isolates one defining quality such as color, weight, shape, texture, size, sound, and smell. In using these exercises, the child will gain a sharpened sense of perception, learn basic problem-solving, and have the opportunity for abstract learning.

The activities in the Sensorial area help the children develop their awareness of the different characteristics and qualities of objects around them by using the senses. The area includes the knobbed cylinders, the knobless cylinders, pink tower, brown stair, color tablets, and sorting exercises.

TODDLERS (cont.)

MATH: Learning mathematical concepts in the Toddler classroom begins concretely and progresses toward the abstract. The children are introduced to sets of one through ten which prepares them for counting and teaches the value of quantity. The children begin to associate numeral and quantity with manipulatives and number cards.

Additional counting activities will be added during the year to reinforce the one through ten numeral concept.

LANGUAGE: The young child has a natural sensitivity for language development. The Montessori language program begins immediately and is continuously woven into each day. There is time devoted to discussion, poetry, songs, and interpretation of stories. The language materials aid the development of speaking, writing, and reading. Reading is presented with a phonics base, adding a sight word vocabulary and extending into a language experience program.

CULTURAL: The Toddler classroom provides many different materials to teach the topics of geography and science. The activities in the science area expose the children to the concept of “sink and float,” magnets, weather, farm and zoo animals, birds, and insects. The children are introduced to the world map and learn the names of the continents. They are also introduced to the concept of land, air, and water.

SIGNATURE PROJECT: MONARCH BUTTERFLY UNIT By caring for their classroom butterfly, students gain firsthand knowledge of the monarch butterfly’s life cycle.

Through observation, songs, poems, stories, and art projects, children learn about the butterfly’s developmental milestones: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and the emergence of the butterfly. The unit concludes with a prayer service and release of the butterflies as they start their migration to Mexico.

MONTESSORI 3 TO 5 YEARS In Visitation Academy’s Montessori 3 to 5 year-old program, children learn in a multi-aged grouping which promotes peer group learning. The specially prepared Montessori classroom environment offers a variety of materials for all individual learning styles. Children develop at different rates and Visitation Academy’s Montessori Early Childhood Program caters to the needs of each individual.

RELIGION: The children continue to “Live Jesus” in their thoughts, words, and actions. They learn about moral values such as honesty, patience, and respect. They participate in informal prayer such as praise, petitions, and thanksgiving for God, family, and the environment. Formal prayer is also introduced with the Sign of the Cross, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Hail Mary. The children celebrate feast days and holy days. They attend church activities such as the celebration of Christ’s birth during the Christmas concert, Ash Wednesday, and the Mary Crowning in May. They also enjoy Bible stories and singing religious songs. In response to our call to serve the needs of others and answer the question “Who is my neighbor?,” the Montessori children will be introduced to the Spiritual Works of Mercy through prayer and petition.

The children also participate in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This is a Montessori-based approach to the religious formation of children, beginning at the age of three. We seek to create and facilitate a sacred, “hands-on” space for children. In our prayer corner, both the children and the catechists can hear, ponder, and celebrate the most essential mysteries of the Christian faith as revealed in the Scriptures and the Liturgy.

Montessori children are introduced to the idea of serving the community by participating in various collections throughout the year.

PRACTICAL LIFE: The Practical Life area of the classroom provides the foundation for future learning. Through the use of the activities, the child develops the skills of order, concentration, coordination, and independence. The activities are designed to enable children to explore their environment through movement while gaining harmony with their brain, senses, and muscles. This area gives the child direction and movement through repetition and promotes confidence to face challenges and change.

The activities in the Practical Life area appeal to the young child’s sensitive period of order, imitation, and selfawareness. These include grasping, spooning, using tongs, pouring beans and water, scooping, opening and closing, stringing beads, and care of the environment through the use of sponges and a broom and dustpan.

SENSORIAL: The Sensorial area of the classroom allows the child to explore the world around them through the senses. These exercises help the child develop a keener eye for discrimination of contrasts and minute details.

Each material isolates one defining quality such as color, weight, shape, texture, size, sound, and smell. In using these exercises the child will gain a sharpened sense of perception, learn basic problem-solving, and have the opportunity of abstract learning.

The activities in the Sensorial area help the child develop their awareness of the different characteristics and qualities of objects around them by using the senses. The area includes the knobbed cylinders, the knobless cylinders, pink tower, brown stair, color tablets, and sorting exercises.

MONTESSORI 3 TO 5 YEARS (cont.)

MATH: The Montessori math curriculum has a strong emphasis on the use of manipulatives. Many manipulatives are Montessori materials or teacher-made materials. Some of these include the golden bead materials which teach place value and many 1-10 activities. There are many presentations followed by practice, repetition, and finally precision. Stress is placed on experience with order, sequence, exactness, sensorial experience, manipulation, and repetition. Children are encouraged to enjoy math by working with the right tools. Teachers assist the child in developing a mathematical mind by helping them start with concrete ideas and progress to the more abstract concepts.

CULTURAL: The Montessori classroom provides many different materials to teach the topics of geography, history, and science. It is through cultural subjects that we can get a view of the cosmos - the whole world. Both scientific language and common names are used. Geography gives an introduction to the globes, maps and mapping, physical geography, cultural geography, flags, and the solar system. History introduces children to the passage of time and the measurement of time. The science area is an introduction to nature study, botany, zoology, and physical science. The cultural area allows the child to observe, explore, and discover the world in a concrete manner.

SIGNATURE PROJECT: THE COLOR WHEEL Montessori students engage in hands-on learning to explore the color wheel. Students perform multi-sensory experiments using food coloring, flowers, baking soda, shaving cream, and paint to learn about primary colors and how to combine them to create secondary colors. They also read books, sing songs, and create art to enhance what they learn. The unit culminates in a fun food experiment where students get the chance to “paint� and eat colored toast!

MONTESSORI KINDERGARTEN In addition to the Montessori philosophy of teaching, Visitation Academy kindergarten students experience a more structured setting where more lessons are presented in large groups. Individual work periods continue to allow students time to develop and practice skills, while progressing at their own rate. Formal texts are used for teaching religion, math, and handwriting.

RELIGION: The Montessori kindergarten student will begin a more formal study of religion. Using the I Am

Special religion series, the child is introduced to the concepts that God gave us self, family, friends, the world around us, our senses, and feelings. Following the church calendar, the student is exposed to various activities for All Saints Day, Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. After learning about the sacrament of Baptism, each child is given a special week during the school year to celebrate his or her Baptismal day. Formal prayer is introduced with the Sign of the Cross and grace before meals. In response to our call to serve the needs of others and answer the question “Who is my neighbor?,” the kindergarten children will be introduced to the Corporal Works of Mercy through the exploration of their “We Are Special” curriculum.

The children continue to participate in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. This allows them to further understand the foundation of the Catholic faith. The kindergarten children practice fuller participation in Mass by attending all-school liturgies. They also gain greater appreciation for serving the needs of our community by participating in collections and small service projects throughout the year.

PRACTICAL LIFE: The Practical Life area of the classroom provides the foundation for future learning. Through the use of the activities, the child develops the skills of order, concentration, coordination, and independence.

The activities are designed to enable the child to explore his environment through movement while gaining harmony with his brain, senses, and muscles. This area gives the child direction and movement through repetition and promotes confidence to face challenges and change. The activities in the Practical Life area appeal to the young child’s sensitive period of order, imitation, and self-awareness with an emphasis on the self-care required for everyday life. These include cutting, pinning, buckling, tying, braiding, sewing a button, folding, baking, and gardening.

SENSORIAL: The Sensorial area of the classroom allows children to explore the world around them through the senses. These exercises help the child develop a keener eye for discrimination of contrasts and minute details.

Each material isolates one defining quality such as color, weight, shape, texture, size, sound, and smell. In using these exercises, the child will gain a sharpened sense of perception, learn basic problem-solving, and have the opportunity for abstract learning. The activities in the Sensorial area help children develop their awareness of the different characteristics and qualities of objects around them by using the senses. The area includes the constructive triangle, the knobless cylinders, geometric shapes and solids, color tablets and sorting exercises.

MONTESSORI KINDERGARTEN (cont.)

MATH: Montessori kindergarten has a problem-based math curriculum and places a strong emphasis on the use of manipulatives. Our mathematics program is designed to help our children become good problem solvers as well as develop good computation skills. Emphasis is placed on experience with order, sequence, exactness, manipulations, repetition, and finally, precision. The teacher assists the student in developing a mathematical mind by helping them start with concrete ideas such as counting, cardinality, comparing numbers, and number and operation in base ten, and progressing to more abstract concepts such as addition and subtraction, estimates, graphing, and exploring money and time.

LANGUAGE: The kindergarten student has a natural sensitivity for language development. The Montessori kindergarten language program is woven into each area of the curriculum. There is formal time devoted to discussion of rhymes, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction books. The language materials aid in building reading skills and in written and verbal vocabulary development. Reading is presented with a phonics base and includes pre-reading and reading comprehension activities, main idea, and oral and shared reading; adding a sight word vocabulary; and extending into vowels, word blends, syllable segmentation, and compound words. The kindergarten writing curriculum includes manuscript handwriting exercises, word and sentence building, journal writing, acrostic poems, and beginning grammar lessons.

CULTURAL: Kindergarten children are naturally curious about their world and the topics covered in the culture

curriculum support their enthusiasm for learning. The cultural studies cover science, geography, and current events. The robust science curriculum includes the study of nature, the five classes of animals, and a strong emphasis on botany. Use of the greenhouse and exploring the nature trail enhance the student’s knowledge.

Earth science consists of a study of the seasons, biomes, maps, and the geography of North America. The history of life on Earth is presented with the Montessori Timeline of Life. Critical language and thinking skills, along with communication skills, are developed through other themed units designed around holidays and the diversity of our student population.

SIGNATURE PROJECT: SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM Each year, kindergarten students learn about the Sacrament of Baptism. Through baptism, each child becomes a member of another family – God’s family, the Church. The class reenacts a baptism in the Chapel with each child having a part to play. The reenactment is followed by a cake and punch reception in the Kindergarten classroom.

Throughout the year, each child is celebrated as a child of God and honored for a week in the classroom.

“BE WHO YOU ARE AND BE THAT WELL.” -ST. FRANCIS DE SALES

CATHOLIC | INDEPENDENT COED MONTESSORI EARLY CHILDHOOD TODDLER-K | ALL-GIRLS 1-12