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EDS Montessori Elementary School, established in 1986, is an ungraded comprehensive program for six to twelve year olds. The program promotes an education integrating fundamental academic skills and interdisciplinary training. Academic disciplines are taught as related parts and contributions to the whole. In an environment that nurtures creativity and an enthusiasm for learning, our school fosters the attributes of critical thinking and problem solving. With guidance, students discover their own innate abilities and develop a strong sense of self-confidence, independence and self-discipline.
CurriculumThe Montesssori curriculum for the Elementary ages is called “Cosmic Education”. The elementary student, developmentally attuned to using his or her imagination as a powerful learning tool, is presented with the universe, the earth and its life forms, and the use of history as a way of developing socially and academically. Through exploration and discovery, students find relationships and order in the world. This integrated curriculum provides a strong base in Mathematics (including geometry and algebra), Language Arts (reading, handwriting, grammar, creative writing and research methods), the Visual and Performing Arts, Music, Sciences (botany, biology, zoology, anatomy & chemistry), Cultural Studies (history, geography, social studies and current affairs), Spanish and Physical Education. The approach is based on research, with students gathering information in a variety of ways; creating reports, conducting experiments, analyzing what they have found, and then sharing what they have learned with their peers.
Language Arts
The language arts are integrated throughout the curriculum. Materials used to learn reading address basic skills and expand reading into literature, biographies, poetry and creative writing. Language work consists of sentence analysis, learning parts of speech, rules of grammar, word study, creative and expository writing, silent reading, research skills, oral presentation of information and library and computer use. Creative and expository composition skills continue to develop as the children advance from level to level. Students typically write on a daily basis, composing short stories, poems, plays, reports and articles. Language activities are naturally integrated with other subjects and reflect the students' interests. Handwriting skills begin in the Primary program (ages 3 – 6) with exercises developing control of the hand in preparation for writing. Writing is a skill developed over time through practice and opportunity. During the Junior Elementary years (ages 6 – 9) students continue to practice and apply handwriting skills in a wide variety of ways. In the Senior Elementary (ages 9 – 12) students are introduced to calligraphy as a way of refining handwriting as an art.
Mathematics
Arithmetic, Geometry and AlgebraThe ingenious sequence of Montessori manipulative materials allow children to develop a concrete understanding of abstract concepts. Using hands-on materials, children work with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, practical application problems, multiples and factors, fractions, decimals, squaring and cubing, measurement and geometry. Students also work with square root, cube root, ratio and proportion, powers of numbers, algebra, negative numbers and non-decimal bases. Geometry is also presented through a series of materials designed by Dr. Montessori. The study of shapes, lines, angles, surfaces and solids is inherent in almost every aspect of the classroom. From the exploration of plane and solid figures at the Primary level (ages 3 – 6) to the more advanced study of nomenclature, characteristics, measurement and drawing of geometric shapes and concepts such as point, line, angle, properties of triangles, circles, etc.; students develop a great understanding based on sensorial experiences and the application of mathematical principles. History plays a part, as teachers tell the story of how “geometry” got its name and how a mathematician named Pythagoras developed his theorem, sparking the imagination and developing understanding. Through the use of classroom materials, students are moving toward Algebra, learning to reason and solve for unknowns. Moving toward the abstract they learn how to use letters to represent unknowns and signs to represent their relationships. Math and problem solving are an integral part of everyday life; skills are reinforced through research. The history of mathematics and an understanding of its application in science, engineering, technology and economics is developed through the students’ research projects.
History
Study begins with the fascinating story of the origin of the universe and our own world. It continues with investigation of developing life and the profound role of humans on the Earth. Research includes aspects of prehistoric human activity and development of early civilizations and cultures, as well as more recent ones. Study will include aspects of our own society and its local and national history. Seeing how humans in different times, cultures and places on earth have met their basic physical and spiritual needs helps us appreciate what the past has to offer. Children come to see that they too have a place in the story of what people do and accomplish.
ScienceChemistry, Physics, Zoology and Biology.
Children learn about plants and animals by looking at the needs of a variety of plant and animal species; by studying plant & animal parts and the function of those parts. Students learn about the effects of environmental conditions and the role of these conditions in ecosystems by gathering of data and doing field work. Classification is introduced as a way of ordering the amazing variety we observe, and as a further development of thinking about logical relationships. The internal parts of vertebrates and invertebrates, including humans, is often a favorite area of study. The study of plants (including photosynthesis, osmosis, anatomy) is done in the school’s gardens as well as in the classroom. The physical geography of the earth is explored, including basic land and water forms, the composition of the earth, plate tectonics and continental drift, erosion, effects of the relationship between the sun and earth, and the atmosphere and its dynamics. Political and economic geography is also covered.
Beginning study of chemistry includes the states of matter, elements and compounds, chemical bonds, basic molecular theory, introduction of the periodic table and the use of laboratory tools and experiments to conduct research. Physical phenomena, various types of energy, physics and astronomy are investigated using lessons, experiments and research. Possibilities for further exploration and the understanding and use of the scientific method are provided by opportunities to participate in an annual science fair.
GeographyThe study of Physical Geography begins in the Primary program with lessons on land and water forms, puzzle maps, study of the continents, and more. By age six most children are very familiar with the names and locations of continents, countries and states. In the Elementary School maps become more detailed, and as the ability to read develops, students label maps, naming basic land and water formations, countries, cities, etc. Study of maps is more detailed and in depth, becoming a good tool for research projects and reports.
ArtChildren are encouraged to use various media to express themselves in their work in all areas of the curriculum. Lessons in the history and use of different media and techniques are offered on a regular basis. Projects focus on opportunities for individual development. Working in this way helps the child to appreciate her own creative abilities and skills, to develop a basis for esthetic judgement, and to become more aware and appreciative of varied media and works of art.
Formal art instruction gives the elementary child a variety of techniques and media for multicultural projects. Art is also integrated into the curriculum in such activities as geometric drawings, map skills, botany and zoology nomenclature and historical illustrations for period costumes and architecture. Music
The elementary child is ready to acquire music-reading skills to visualize the organization of sound through rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics and expression, Continuing the guiding concepts developed through ear training in the early years, using music vocabulary, and expanding the child’s awareness of history, style and culture is an important aspect at the elementary level. Practical application of the basic concepts through Orff methods includes singing, movement, playing recorders, xylophones and hand percussion instruments. Performances at our Winter Program, Earth Day and End of Year Celebration develop a sense of community through ensemble experience. The annual Talent Show provides the individual child with a platform for self-expression. The overall goal is to prepare our students for further music study if they so choose, by giving them positive experiences during their time at our school. Piano and guitar private instruction are also available. Physical EducationAerobic exercise and wide variety of cooperative games combined with team sports, such as basketball, soccer, and volleyball give students a wide range of skills and knowledge. In addition to weekly physical education classes, every class has scheduled outdoor activities every day. SpanishEscuela del Sol offers foreign language instruction to children ages 3 to 11. Starting at the Primary level, students have a weekly opportunity to listen to and become familiar with Spanish vocabulary and expressions through books, games and basic conversation. Children participate in Spanish circle, greeting the teacher and each other, and partake of simple readings and word games that initiate their exposure to Spanish. At the Elementary level, students begin to acquaint themselves with the underlying structure of the foreign language. Parts of speech and basic grammar are emphasized as well as the development of incipient writing skills. The essential aim of the exercises is to have the students make connections with the target language in other parts of their lives. We study vocabulary relevant to children and their environment, grouped in categories such as the family, the home, the school and classroom, food, the city, animals, parts of the body and many more. The students listen to stories, draw and label their own worksheets, make small books on the different subjects and engage in practicing their pronunciation during the weekly sessions. We often combine art and Spanish to give children a variety of ways to practice the language.
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