Primary + Lower Elementary

3.5 – 8 Years

Our Bilingual Montessori Primary program is designed to foster independence and provide a peaceful environment where each child can develop physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Dr. Montessori discovered that children under six have a universal ability to absorb knowledge from their surroundings just by living. She called this “the absorbent mind.” Because the child’s mind is so absorbent, this is a critical time for language development.

In order to activate each “child’s own natural desire to learn,” we have structured our bilingual Primary classroom environment to encourage:

  • Exploration and discovery — concrete materials allow children to learn by touching and manipulating objects
  • Sensory stimulation —  multi-sensory materials encourage visual order, calm sounds, variety of textures
  • Order — children have an innate need to know where things belong and how pieces fit together
  • Movement control — opportunities for children to master the movements of their own bodies
  • Repetition — work that children enjoy doing again and again to master a concept
  • Routine — helps children find order in their day and feel safe and confident; helps them explore their environment in a structured way

The teachers observe and guide each child on his or her own educational path and honor the Montessori principle that each child learns at his or her own pace.  The hands-on Montessori materials are self-correcting, fostering independence and accomplishment throughout the learning process.

The multi-age classroom allows children to learn as quickly or slowly as they need to rather than being limited by a curriculum. This fosters self-esteem and self-confidence.  In addition, the older children develop leadership skills in mentoring the younger children, and the younger children look up to and learn from their older peers.

The Primary program prepares children for Elementary work by gradually moving from concrete materials to abstract concepts. The children learn concentration, independence, language skills, time management, responsibility and respect—all of which prepare them well for a successful transition into the Elementary class.

Areas Of Learning:

  • Practical Life: Focus on developing order, concentration, coordination, and independence; establishing ground rules, harmonizing the classroom, respect and care of the environment, grace and courtesy, control of movement, and creating routine which enables child to feel safe in a nurturing environment; pouring, sifting, transferring, sweeping
  • Sensorial: Prepares children for progression into academic work through development of observation, senses, and problem-solving skills by refining skills that help children learn how to think, reason, and make distinctions; cubes, cylinders and other objects to categorize, find spatial relationships; visual discrimination
  • Language: Pre-reading, matching (concrete to abstract), word-recognition, pre-writing development, sandpaper letters, move-able alphabet, sounds, metal insets, beginning readers, beginning writing
  • Math: Work goes from concrete to abstract, counting activities, concept of time, seasons, daily routine, base of 10, teen board, ten board, 100 board, banking, stamp game
  • Spanish: Enables children to speak and express themselves in a second language in an environment that promotes confidence and interest; learn vocabulary: numbers, body parts, songs, poems, animals, feelings, days of the week, months of the year, daily conversation, the world around them
  • Science: Direct observation and manipulation of physical properties in the areas of Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, and Scientific Reasoning; parts of animals and plants
  • Geography & Cultural: land, water, air, continents and oceans, land forms, study of people, cultures, traditions, maps, artifacts and our relationship to the universe
  • Art: basic art concepts, exploring different mediums, cutting, gluing, painting, drawing, sculpting
  • Peace Education: study of peacemakers from around the world, active discussions and community efforts towards peace, reading books about peace, children learn to “make peace” in circle time, peace corner for child to calm herself or himself
  • Outdoor Environment: gardening, scientific observation of plants, water work, hammering, sanding, wheelbarrow