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Primary Curriculum

The Primary environment is divided into 5 main categories:

• Practical Life

• Sensorial

• Mathematics

• Language

• Cultural.

The program also includes Art and Music Fitness

 

Practical Life
The purpose of Practical Life activities is to promote a sense of order, concentration, and independence; assist in educating movement; restore the child ’s energy; and help develop the “mathematical mind” (Pascal) by following a precise routine. Skills learned in this area of the classroom lay a foundation for the rest of the curriculum. Socialization skills and the work cycle are introduced, and fine and gross motor skills are practiced. The lessons teach responsibility for oneself, others, and the environment.

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Sensorial
The role of the Sensorial activities is to increase powers of discrimination and awareness as the children isolate various sense perceptions. These activities help children differentiate the various objects in their world. This is done through matching, grading, and sequencing objects. These lessons form the foundation for mathematical, musical and scientific studies. Examples in the Sensorial area are: matching sounds or smells, matching or grading colors, grading by size, and learning plane and solid shapes.

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Mathematics
The Sensorial then forms the basis of the concrete approach to Mathematics. Through a wide variety of manipulatives, children use movement to understand mathematical concepts. Lessons in this area begin with the very concrete and move to the more abstract. A variety of objects are manipulated to learn basic number concepts; place value is learned through manipulating the golden beads. Some examples are: sandpaper numerals for learning the symbols 1 – 9, the spindle box for understanding the concept of 0, the teens board and tens board for matching quantity and symbol, the colored beads for additon, subtraction, and multiplication, and the golden beads for understanding the decimal system and performing mathematical operations.

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Language
The Language materials begin with the pre-cursors to reading and writing, the thorough development and understanding of those areas through a phoneme-based program, and the ability to break down and analyze the language through hands-on manipulatives. Our language materials will help your child develop the skills needed for verbal communication, reading and writing. Examples in this area include games that provide opportunities for speaking, sandpaper letters for learning the sounds of the alphabet, movable alphabet for constructing words and sentences, many opportunities for reading, and metal insets of design for perfecting pencil grip.

 

Cultural
For purposes of discussion, the Montessori Cultural areas include Science, Geography, and History with further delineations within each of these areas. The study of these subjects provides a greater understanding of the children’s world and their place in it and provides a connection for your child to the outside world. Topics are explored through games, songs, stories, and hands-on activities. We use our five senses for discovering the wonders of the earth and the diversity of its people.

 

Art
The world of art is opened to the children through a comprehensive, process-oriented program. The easel is always available for mixing colors and self-expression. Concepts such as primary, secondary, complementary, cool and warm colors are taught with a variety of media available to the children. Art appreciation is pursued with a simple overview of the history of art, as well as a study of individual artists and their work. The children enjoy learning about many famous artists with activities such as experimenting with the pointillist technique of Seurat or creating their own “cutouts” as did Matisse.

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The primary children attend class Monday through Friday in two possible programs. Part-time students attend daily class from 9:00am to 12:30pm. Full-time students attend daily class from 9:00am to 2:45pm.

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Elementary I Curriculum

The Montessori School of East Orlando’s Lower Elementary classroom is a multi-aged program for children ages 6-9.

The Elementary environment is divided into 7 main categories:

• Practical Life

• Language Arts

• Mathematics

• Geometry

• Cultural (Geography and History)

• Physical Science

• Biology

The program also includes Art and Physical Education

 

Practical Life
The purpose of Practical Life activities is to promote a sense of order, concentration, and independence. Montessori students develop a clear sense of values and social conscience. Montessori education teaches students from the beginning, everyday ethics and interpersonal skills.

 

Language Arts
The Language materials provide a concrete foundation for all further language work. Activities emphasizing auditory and visual perception skills begin with the youngest children. The basis of a phonemic approach to the sounds of our language leads directly to writing and reading.

 

Cultural
History − Our study of history begins with a personal sense of time and progresses to the great stories about the development of earth and prehistory. Children's imaginations are sparked with time lines and artifacts, and then set free to explore people from all places and times.

 

Geography
Our approach to geography is global--we offer the earth and the many ways to learn about it, both natural and political.

Physical Science
At six years old, children begin to explore the fundamental concepts of science. Chemistry, physics, astronomy, and geology are presented through exciting hands-on demonstrations, followed by the children's own experiments, using proper scientific technique and recording their observations.

 

Biology
The children explore the realms of zoology and botany through classification, research, and hands-on activities.

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Mathematics and Geometry
Montessori students use hands-on learning materials that make abstract concepts clear and concrete.  This approach to teaching Mathematics offers a clear and logical strategy for helping students understand and develop a sound foundation in mathematics and geometry.

 

Art and Physical Education
We have an integrated curriculum where music, art, crafts, and physical education are natural parts of each day.

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The lower and upper elementary students attend class Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 3:00pm (6 - 12 years old).