Montessori - Elementary Curriculum
Elementary Curriculum
The educational approach of a Montessori classroom at teh elementary level has been called "Cosmic Education", a concept dating back to ancient Greece. This term denotes the holistic, integrative method of learning employed at this level: the children are encouraged to explore all facets of the world around them and to view them in harmony with each other. The elementary curriculum is responsible to fulfill the obligations of the Public School Curriculum, but is by no means limited to it.
The elementary child, in contrast to the primary child, is chiefly interested in how and why things function the wya they do. Maria Montessori called this the "second plane of development." In the elementary classroom, we open doors to the various paths of knowledge. We want the children to get a glimpse of what lies beyond so they can choose their own particular paths. Storytelling is the method that we use to open the doors to the universe. The child of the second plane asks for reality, but one that can be explored by his or her imagination. The five "Great Lessons" form a framework for exploring the cosmos:
1.The Vision of the Whole Universe
2. The story of the Coming of Life
3. The story of the Coming of Human Beings
4. The story of Language
5. The story of Numbers
Without the Great Lessons, the elementary class would be reduced to a matter of syllabus, curriculum material and subject matter; instead, the Great Lessons set the stage for imaginatibe exploration. They are further divided into nine subjects as follows.
Mathematics
Dr. Montessori believed mathematics should be easy for all children to grasp, rahter than something in which just a few excel. The elementary math curriuculum builds on the primary curriculum: the students continue to work with the four mthematical operations, They also learn squaring and cubing, after which they have the foundation for extracting a number for a square or a cube. They also work in other bases other than the decial system and explore algebra and the history of math.
Geometry
The elementary geometry program cover the following 6 areas:
1. Congruence, equivalence and similarity
2. Polygons
3. Angles
4. Lines
5. Plane Figures
6. Solid Geometry
The lessons are presented creatively to allow the child to interact with the materials and explore them for himself.
Language
Children at this age are very interested in teh origins of language, the origin of sounds, the construction of sentences, and other fundamentals, Again, in the elementary classroom, the subject is presented as a series of stories that capture children's imagination, such as the story of spoken English, the story of written symobls and the history of writing materials and implements, We study etymology becuase it touches people of the past and people of different lands, bringing the subject alive.
Language skills should not be reduced to the rules of grammar and syntax, spelling rules to memorize, random composition exercises, ans so on, which tend to deaden children's natural interest in language, However, elementary students learn that there is a standard of both spoken langeuage and written language, We explore grammar and syntax in creatvie, interactive ways; we study workd and sentence analysis to promote clarity of thought and enable them to precisely express their ideas.
Biology
Biology is presented as part and parcel of the processes of life on earth, a perspective that demonstrates the mutual relationship between planet earth and the life on it. The child uses both his imagination and his reasoning power: whereas at the primary level the facts and names appealed to him, he now wants to know the reason behind the things he has learned. For example, he is not interested tht the leaf is green; he wants to know why it is green. He is not interested that the fish is dead; he wants to know why it died. The emphasis on plant and animal physiology provides this link bewtwwn the structure and the funtion of each living thing.
Geography
Geography is presented as the Story of Earth in the Montessori elementary curriculum. The following are the main areas covered: The Creation of the Universe, the Nature of Elements, the Sun and the Earth, the Work of the Air, the Work of the Water and Economic Geography. Children are encouraged to relate these topics to other aspects of their studies, particularly history and biology.
History
In the history curriculum we want each student to geel that they are part of the unfolding story of his or her people and to consciously consider what part he is going to play, History studies are ser against the background of the story of the Creation fo the Universe, the story of the Coming of Life, and the story of Human Beings. From this perspective, the child learns he has the power to create change, both for worse and for better, We begin with the earliest people and look at history as the story of the human being, rather than as a sequence of dates or places to be memorized.
Music
Music is an integral component of the prepared environment and is woven into the classroom through the other subject areas as well as on its own, We have a rich music program at the school with lessons in music theory and history, as well as lessons on a variety of rhythm instruments, as well as small group lessons in recorder.
Arts and Culture
Artistic and cultural achievements are not separate entities in teh elementary classroom, but are interwoven essentails in each of the subject levels, The child develops a profound respect and appreciation for what has been created by human beings throughout history through his own research as well as topics presented by the teacher, Childern are encouraged to develop skills in creative writing, art and drama.
Service to Society
The goal of a Montessori elementary teacher is to aid the child in his journey to become a responsible member of society. To do this we create an environment in the classroom that has balance between freedom and responsibility. The program also incorporated opportunites to build on children's natural compassion and look beyond the classroom for opportunities to serve the wider community the society in whihc they live, and the world beyond.
Travels
The 5th grade children participate in a sleep away nature camp.
The educational approach of a Montessori classroom at teh elementary level has been called "Cosmic Education", a concept dating back to ancient Greece. This term denotes the holistic, integrative method of learning employed at this level: the children are encouraged to explore all facets of the world around them and to view them in harmony with each other. The elementary curriculum is responsible to fulfill the obligations of the Public School Curriculum, but is by no means limited to it.
The elementary child, in contrast to the primary child, is chiefly interested in how and why things function the wya they do. Maria Montessori called this the "second plane of development." In the elementary classroom, we open doors to the various paths of knowledge. We want the children to get a glimpse of what lies beyond so they can choose their own particular paths. Storytelling is the method that we use to open the doors to the universe. The child of the second plane asks for reality, but one that can be explored by his or her imagination. The five "Great Lessons" form a framework for exploring the cosmos:
1.The Vision of the Whole Universe
2. The story of the Coming of Life
3. The story of the Coming of Human Beings
4. The story of Language
5. The story of Numbers
Without the Great Lessons, the elementary class would be reduced to a matter of syllabus, curriculum material and subject matter; instead, the Great Lessons set the stage for imaginatibe exploration. They are further divided into nine subjects as follows.
Mathematics
Dr. Montessori believed mathematics should be easy for all children to grasp, rahter than something in which just a few excel. The elementary math curriuculum builds on the primary curriculum: the students continue to work with the four mthematical operations, They also learn squaring and cubing, after which they have the foundation for extracting a number for a square or a cube. They also work in other bases other than the decial system and explore algebra and the history of math.
Geometry
The elementary geometry program cover the following 6 areas:
1. Congruence, equivalence and similarity
2. Polygons
3. Angles
4. Lines
5. Plane Figures
6. Solid Geometry
The lessons are presented creatively to allow the child to interact with the materials and explore them for himself.
Language
Children at this age are very interested in teh origins of language, the origin of sounds, the construction of sentences, and other fundamentals, Again, in the elementary classroom, the subject is presented as a series of stories that capture children's imagination, such as the story of spoken English, the story of written symobls and the history of writing materials and implements, We study etymology becuase it touches people of the past and people of different lands, bringing the subject alive.
Language skills should not be reduced to the rules of grammar and syntax, spelling rules to memorize, random composition exercises, ans so on, which tend to deaden children's natural interest in language, However, elementary students learn that there is a standard of both spoken langeuage and written language, We explore grammar and syntax in creatvie, interactive ways; we study workd and sentence analysis to promote clarity of thought and enable them to precisely express their ideas.
Biology
Biology is presented as part and parcel of the processes of life on earth, a perspective that demonstrates the mutual relationship between planet earth and the life on it. The child uses both his imagination and his reasoning power: whereas at the primary level the facts and names appealed to him, he now wants to know the reason behind the things he has learned. For example, he is not interested tht the leaf is green; he wants to know why it is green. He is not interested that the fish is dead; he wants to know why it died. The emphasis on plant and animal physiology provides this link bewtwwn the structure and the funtion of each living thing.
Geography
Geography is presented as the Story of Earth in the Montessori elementary curriculum. The following are the main areas covered: The Creation of the Universe, the Nature of Elements, the Sun and the Earth, the Work of the Air, the Work of the Water and Economic Geography. Children are encouraged to relate these topics to other aspects of their studies, particularly history and biology.
History
In the history curriculum we want each student to geel that they are part of the unfolding story of his or her people and to consciously consider what part he is going to play, History studies are ser against the background of the story of the Creation fo the Universe, the story of the Coming of Life, and the story of Human Beings. From this perspective, the child learns he has the power to create change, both for worse and for better, We begin with the earliest people and look at history as the story of the human being, rather than as a sequence of dates or places to be memorized.
Music
Music is an integral component of the prepared environment and is woven into the classroom through the other subject areas as well as on its own, We have a rich music program at the school with lessons in music theory and history, as well as lessons on a variety of rhythm instruments, as well as small group lessons in recorder.
Arts and Culture
Artistic and cultural achievements are not separate entities in teh elementary classroom, but are interwoven essentails in each of the subject levels, The child develops a profound respect and appreciation for what has been created by human beings throughout history through his own research as well as topics presented by the teacher, Childern are encouraged to develop skills in creative writing, art and drama.
Service to Society
The goal of a Montessori elementary teacher is to aid the child in his journey to become a responsible member of society. To do this we create an environment in the classroom that has balance between freedom and responsibility. The program also incorporated opportunites to build on children's natural compassion and look beyond the classroom for opportunities to serve the wider community the society in whihc they live, and the world beyond.
Travels
The 5th grade children participate in a sleep away nature camp.