Primary

PRIMARY LEVEL CURRICULUM

Practical Life

Activities, which develop and strengthen independence, motor-coordination, concentration, sequential memory and socialization, continue. During the primary years children move from simple tasks like pouring and polishing to complex exercises which each involve an hour or more of the morning’s work. Preparing and serving a recipe such as a salad is an example of this type of work. Group cooking experience will continue as an extension of practical life.

Sensorial

These exercises develop and refine the five senses and create the mental development of careful observation and fine discrimination of dimension, color and form. The particular attention a child gives to differences and similarities prepare her for mathematical work. Specifically, the geometric cabinet and constructive triangles prepare for geometry; the binomial and trinomial cube for algebra.

Language

The Primary student practices with the language exercises in any language to broaden his vocabulary, to learn to communicate his thoughts in writing and to understand the thoughts of others through reading.

The mechanics of writing is learned and perfected through the metal insets, sandpaper letters, chalkboard and formation of symbols on paper.

The child then moves into the Interpretive Stage, learning phonetics, non-phonetics, puzzle word and Reading Classification – that is, naming words and matching terms to pictures. Soon after the child moves into functional reading; how each word works, such as article, adjective, noun, etc. Continual language work such as grammar, sentence analysis, and word study is introduced after the child has begun to write sentences and take dictation. Book reports, research papers and science experiment recordings follow.

Simultaneously, the child is encouraged to express herself by composing words with the movable alphabet, writing stories and writing reports. At first she dictates her thoughts to a teacher who writes them down. Some third and fourth year Primary students compose stories on paper.

There are several levels of reading skills in the Primary class:

Beginning: Pre-reading

• Practical life and sensorial indirect preparation
• Vocabulary enrichment
• Initial, middle and ending sounds of words
• Auditory comprehension exercises (listening, remembering and relating)

Phonetic Reading, Phonograms and Puzzle words:

• Singular alphabet sounds, double sounds and blends, and sight words are three keys the child combines to learn how to sound out
• Reading single words, phrases, short sentences

Total Reading Sequence:

• Phonetic sounding out turns entirely into reading
• Paragraphs, stories, chapter books
• Reading comprehension – SRA Reading Lab
• Exploration of language through grammar, word study and sentence analysis

Introduction of a New Language

The first step in the process of learning a language at TRS is the exposure, at all times, to the languages in the daily life of the student. This is accomplished through:

- Participation in the daily conversations in the life of a classroom/school community

- Participation in lessons in all subject matters

Through this daily exposure, the child starts off by acquiring basic vocabulary, first in comprehension and then in expression. As the child acquires new vocabulary, s/he is encouraged to repeat the words and practice them in context so that they become part of the child’s own vocabulary. This approach helps build the child’s confidence so that every time they encounter new material, they also encounter familiar words. The teacher uses words in context so that even though the students may not understand the details of a conversation, they understand the general message that is being transmitted. The multi-age classroom with students at many different levels allows a student to receive help from a classmate when s/he is finding it difficult to understand. In the case of concepts being introduced through Montessori lessons, the didactic materials allow the child to experience the concrete while listening to the language that accompanies the lesson. If a child finds it difficult to understand a lesson, s/he is more than welcome to ask for help from one of the other guides in the classroom. Slowly they are led to the comprehension of full sentences and paragraphs or conversations. At this point they are ready to start composing simple sentences. They are ready to become active participants in another language. This happens little by little and sooner than the student can recognize him/herself.

As soon as the child has acquired a very basic understanding of the language, s/he will receive practical life lessons in the second language giving it purpose. As the child’s ability to comprehend increases, lessons in the other areas of the curriculum will be introduced.

Stories and poems will be read to the child in the second language and then, in cooperation with the teacher, they will make sense of the text. This allows the students develop their vocabulary from a different perspective as they first encounter the words in context. As time goes by and the students’ confidence level develops, they will learn to decipher what a word means by recognizing other words in the sentence or paragraph. We learn songs as another venue to the acquisition of vocabulary and a way of being exposed to a different culture. Whenever appropriate, conversations about different countries where the language is spoken will be incorporated.

At the Primary level, children acquire language skills in two languages through focused language lessons as described above, as well as through the constant interactions with the English, Spanish or French speaking teachers and/or students in the environment. The acquisition of a language is not about the knowledge of words; it is about the meaning that is communicate by the use of words in that language.

Mathematics

Math work is based on the sensorial foundation and is concretely based until the child is ready to abstract. Primary math involves 9 levels.

1. Numbers 1-10

2. Linear counting 1-200, 1-1000

3. Skip counting 1-200, 1-1000

4. Decimal system – four operations in arithmetic, simple and dynamic

5. Individual exercises in each of the four operations which lead to memorization of facts

6. Fractions – families, equivalent, simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, division

7. Time, money, measurement

8. Logical thinking skills and problem solving

9. Indirect preparation for geometry and algebra, squaring and cubing

Cultural Subjects

Geography : Each classroom focuses on a different continent as follows:

· North America

· Europe

· Asia

· Africa

As part of our cultural studies the Primary classes focus on a different continent for cultural, political and physical geography. Besides continuing to review general geography, each class will explore the fundamental needs of humans through studying political facts (including names and name origins of countries, capitals, and flags), and by learning about individual countries’ important land and water forms, languages, literature, art, music, clothing, housing, philosophy and religion, health care, transportation, communication, everyday customs, celebrations and cuisine. This last aspect of cultural studies will be enriched by preparing and serving recipes during the weekly luncheon in each class. Of course, Montessori’s genius provides a framework in which other aspects of child development can be emphasized besides cooking. For example, the children spend much time on practical life tasks; they learn time management, group cooperation and many grace and courtesy skills, together with a growing awareness of each individual’s value as a contributor to the community.

Cooking

“The child learns by his/her own activity, taking culture from the environment.”

Maria Montessori

With this philosophy in mind we have found that children get a wonderful sense of accomplishment when we allow them to be as involved as much as possible in their learning process. Our cooking program is structured with this very concept in mind. When children have direct and concrete positive experiences, they have the most lasting impressions.

We think that the kitchen is a great place not only to cook, but also to enhance each child’s language, math, geography, and cultural knowledge. Cooking also develops the child’s motor and critical thinking skills.

This year our students will embark on a culinary tour of Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, preparing recipes for a weekly class lunch. In addition to the culinary tour of these continents, the children will periodically prepare a dish or a meal as a cultural experience related to the holidays we celebrate.

The goal of this program is to provide the children with the opportunity to better understand other cultures, further develop their Practical Life Skills and to explore the social skills necessary to enjoying a meal as a community. They will strive towards being able to read the recipe, gather the ingredients and prepare the dishes themselves.

Primary students will enjoy the weekly cultural lunches on one day per week. The children work in rotating groups of about five or six students every week.

The children will also learn these important aspects of preparing and serving a meal:

Exploring food groups

Preparing a list, identifying ingredients and shopping

Setting up the kitchen

Measurements, dry and liquid

Following the logical steps in a recipe

Developing small and large motor skills specific to cooking

Working in an economical and orderly way

Maintaining a high standard of cleanliness and safety

Setting the tables

The grace and courtesy of serving

Cleaning up

Literature

The study of literature will be based on a shared inquiry approach starting by enjoying reading together and followed by group discussions. We will elaborate together on the development of the plot and characters. We will constantly review the sequencing of events and work on projections. The group discussion is a safe place where all opinions are accepted and respected. Answers may be confirmed through research of factual information and personal experience. We will discuss the facts and we will try to interpret and evaluate. Picture drawing and possibly writing will be encouraged to further develop understanding.

Physical Science

At the primary level students explore concepts through experiments that lead them to their own discoveries. They explore the three states of matter and their properties and magnetism leading to the basic concepts of electricity.

Geology

The children are introduced to the study of our planet by exploring the composition of the earth: the crust, mantle and core, as well as volcanoes, geysers, and other physical phenomenon. This leads to the introduction of the study of rocks. They discover that there are three kinds of rocks: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Some minerals are also examined.

Astronomy

The children are introduced to the study of the Earth and the Sun and the relationship between the two leading to the study of the seasons. Astronomy also includes an overview of the planets of the Solar System.

Biology

Botany

Students in the Primary program are introduced to the parts and function of plants. They study the role of the part in relation to the whole plant and that of the plant in relation to the environment.

Zoology

Our students are introduced to the Animal kingdom by studying the five classes of vertebrates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The children explore the fundamental needs of the animals as well as their external physical characteristics. They study the biomes animals live in such as forests, grasslands deserts, tundra; they also explore the individual habitats of animals such as rivers, lakes, or mountains.

The Human Body

This study of the human body starts with the study of the skeletal system leading to the study of the different systems that make up and allow our bodies to work.

Ecology

Students are introduced to the concept of decomposition through the use and maintenance of the compost bin. They explore the relationship between this process and the process of growing food through the concepts of ecology and recycling. This will be tied to the study of seasons and how they affect the plant life in the garden.