Elementary Programme

Elementary Programme and Curriculum Overview

The 6 – 9 Year Old

In Dr. Maria Montessori's study of children she clearly saw several different "planes of development" with physical, intellectual and social indicators showing the jump to a different plane. Children of the 6 -9 age group are in the second plane of development characterized by a need for increased independence and the development of social justice and morality. The mind has changed from an "absorbent" mind to a "reasoning" mind. The child wants the facts and will challenge the facts with questions beginning with "what", "why", "when" and "how". The child likes to be given the facts so that he/she can imagine what is outside the realm of what is concretely seen. As opposed to seeking order externally and sensorially, the child begins to order his/her own mind. The child aged six to nine is in a sensitive period for culture. They love to learn about early civilizations, who preceded them on Earth and how the universe came into being. They want the "whole" picture and have limitless intellectual curiosity. Maria Montessori wanted the children to have an understanding and respect for the cosmic nature of life, that all living things are inter-related and interdependent. To that end, she developed a curriculum that appeals to the child's limitless curiosity and imaginative powers. All subject areas are introduced by a series of stories or Great Lessons. These stories give the "big picture" in a general way through a series of impressionistic charts, pictures, demonstrations and experiments. The Great Lessons in Language, Mathematics, Geometry, Geography and History ignite the child's curiosity and imagination and whet the appetite to set the stage for further discovery.

Mathematics

The Elementary Mathematics programme is an extension and continuation of the Casa programme. The student continues to work with materials in order to understand the underlying concepts, thereby moving closer to abstraction. Students develop an understanding of the relationship between categories of numbers in the decimal system. They practice computation (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division), and math fact memorization. Basic units of measurement, fractions, data management, graphing, estimation, word problems and the concept of money are also covered using both Montessori materials and other manipulatives. Neatness and proper organization are work habits that are continually encouraged and modeled.

Geometry

The "Story of Geometry" gives the history of geometry and reminds the children that shapes are everywhere, both man-made and in nature-- the honeycomb in a bee hive, a bird's egg, the shape of a mountain etc. The students review the names and characteristics of the geometric solids and plane geometric shapes. They learn the fundamental concept of geometry - that all geometry starts from a point. Study of lines, angles, closed plane figures, polygons, triangles and quadrilaterals is all done through the use of Montessori and supplementary materials.

Language Arts

Students begin the Elementary programme where they left off in Casa. Focus is placed on developing solid reading and writing skills. Through the Great Lesson of Language, the students study the origin and history of the written and spoken word. The child begins to increase vocabulary by studying words and their etymologies. Prefixes, suffixes, compound words, homonyms, abbreviations, contractions, synonyms, antonyms, word tenses and word families are introduced. The students study syllabification, alphabetization, punctuation, dictionary and reference material skills.

Montessori's language curriculum places particular emphasis on understanding grammar-- the different parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, pronoun, conjunction, interjection) through the use of Grammar Boxes and Sentence Analysis Charts.

Reading

All students are encouraged to read both silently and out loud. Reading Comprehension materials are used in the classroom and are strongly encouraged. The teacher reads from a novel daily and encourages the children to ask questions, talk about the plot, predict the ending etc.

Spelling

Students will continue to work with phonograms and complete weekly spelling work as homework, with dictation tests on a weekly basis.

Hand Writing

Cursive writing will be required for all class work. Towards the end of grade two printing skills will be introduced. Proper grip, neatness, posture and organization is continually modeled and encouraged.

Creative Writing

At the end of each day, students are encouraged to write their daily activities in their journal. Through this work, the students will learn how to write a date, space the words correctly and use the margin when required. Proper use of punctuation and capitalization, as well as neatness, will be stressed. Students will learn to write simple sentences and progress towards writing full paragraphs and reports with an introduction, body and conclusion.

History

The History curriculum is introduced through the concept of time. The student begins to understand that time is an equal measure and begins with the minute, hour, day, week, month, year, decade and century. Students continue honing their time-telling skills and study of the clock. The children research their families and where they fit in to their family trees. They learn about the origin and history of names. The children study The Fundamental Needs of Humans and they begin to compare ancient civilizations with their own. A Great Lesson on the Story of Life introduces the children to the story of the earth and the different eras and epochs that make up the Earth's history.

Geography

The Geography curriculum can be viewed as an ongoing "story" which unfolds in chapters. Like the other subjects, Geography is presented from the general to the specific, with the Earth as a point of reference. In the study of Geography we appeal to the imagination of the child through the use of impressionistic and realistic charts, experiments, cosmic tales and a Great Lesson. The children first study the Universe and the physical and chemical laws that govern it. Study then moves inward toward the Earth where we study the Earth's Lithosphere and Atmosphere. The study culminates in a deep understanding of the laws that govern our planet, how human beings affect the planet and how, as living things, we are all interdependent on each other and the environment in which we live.

Botany

In Botany, study begins with identifying and classifying different plants that are commonly found in North America. Through experiments and impressionistic charts the children then move onto studying the Needs of the Plant, The Leaf, The Root, The Stem, The Flower, The Fruit and The Seed. Where possible, live specimens are brought to class so that students can complete experiments or can study the plants first hand.

Zoology

The study of Zoology begins with familiarizing the child with animals from all of the classes of invertebrates and vertebrates. The children then study the external parts of animals from the five classes of vertebrates– Aves, Pisces, Amphibia, Reptilia and Mammalia. The students examine live specimens (where possible) and also use classified nomenclature cards with definitions to learn the external parts of each class. The children are then introduced to the Five Kingdoms and they learn in further detail about vertebrates and invertebrates and the vital functions (respiration, circulation etc.)of vertebrates. Research projects are encouraged and a field trip to the Toronto Zoo is of extreme benefit when studying the habitats and habits of animals.

The Arts

Visual Art

The Visual Art curriculum is intended to help students develop their creativity and observational powers. Art class is scheduled for one hour per week, and often art will be cross curricula. For example, when students are studying the Solar System and the Planets, in art class they will create a papier mache solar system mobile for the classroom. Canadian and International artists and their works of art will be studied. A discussion of "what is art" is ongoing throughout the academic year.

Music

Music class is scheduled for one hour per week. The music curriculum is intended to help students develop an understanding and appreciation of music, as well as practical skills. The goal is to provide students with a lifelong love and passion for music. In Grade 1 there will be listening games and singing. Students will learn about beat, tempo, pitch and sound. Music study in subsequent grades will include learning about patterns of sound and how to create compositions as well as the further study of the elements of music through listening, singing, playing and composing.

Drama

The elements of drama are incorporated in almost every subject area. The students will be encouraged to read aloud in the classroom, to express themselves through a poem or piece of writing. The children will learn how to role-play, to "live through" the experiences of others, to empathize and understand other points of view. The Drama curriculum is also intended to develop a sense of confidence when performing or addressing an audience.

Physical Education

Queensville Montessori Academy is pleased to be offering a unique Physical Education programme to its students. Every day, each student will be required to participate in a fun "Daily Vigorous Physical Activity" that can be completed in the classroom or outside if the weather permits.

During the warmer months (September, October, May and June) the students will have two 45 minute periods of outdoor physical education activities per week at the school or local park. During the cooler months (November through April) physical education activities will be both outside and also at indoor facilities. We are currently arranging a programme that will include some or all of martial arts, ice skating, swimming and gymnastics. Activities are included as part of the tuition fee.

French

Students at QMA will receive French instruction for two hours each week. French materials (classification cards etc.) and books will be made available to our elementary students in the classroom for use at anytime. Children of this age have an interest and an "ear" for learning different language and since the interest is there, it is strongly encouraged.

Non-Curriculum Related Information:

Classroom Expectations

Classroom expectations ("Bill of Rights") are discussed at the beginning of the year with each member of the class having input as to what the expectations should be. The underlying principle is that each member of the class community acts with respect, responsibility and tolerance towards others, the environment and the world around them. The children maintain the environment themselves, with clean-up duties, attendance and other administrative tasks being conducted by the students.

Conflict Resolution

A classroom is a small community in itself, and conflict does arise. The resolution of conflict in a respectful, peaceful way is a basic tenet of the classroom. We like to employ the "Peace Mat" -- those who are in conflict are invited to sit around the mat and talk through the issue at hand. We strongly encourage the children to work it out themselves, but we keep a watchful eye and an open ear to these discussions and are there to guide when required. We also like to have a "Communication Box" in the classroom where the students can write their feelings/issues/concerns down and put it in the box anonymously. We check the box daily and address concerns either on an individual or group basis as required.

Report Cards

Reporting your child's progress will be "formally" conducted three times a year through a Parent/Teacher interview in November and progress reports in January and June. However, it is our intent to keep you updated on an informal basis regularly through a "Communication Book" that each child will be given. There should never be any surprises when progress reports are received; the door is always open should you wish to discuss your child's progress and development.

Standardized Testing

In addition to report cards, we will conduct (and share with our parents) standardized testing in October and May for all Elementary students. The reason we do this is two-fold. First, it is important to have an understanding of where each of our students stand based on Canadian norms. Second, tests like these are part of academic life outside of the Montessori system and it is important for our students to become familiar with writing tests of this nature. We ensure that we fully prepare our students for their academic careers after Queensville Montessori Academy.

Homework

Homework is an important part of our Elementary programme, as it teaches time management/organizational skills and encourages good work habits outside of school. Generally, lower elementary students are eager to complete homework so it is a positive experience for all!

• Ten minutes of reading at home every night will be encouraged. The students will be required to keep a "Reading Log" of the books they have read.
• Mathematics, Language and Spelling homework will be assigned on a weekly basis. Students will be assigned homework on Friday and are expected to hand it in the following Thursday.
• Every now and then, your child may have special projects or work that will need to be worked on at home.

By no means will the homework assignments be overwhelming as we feel that being with family, playing with friends and enjoying activities outside of school are extremely important in the development of the "whole" child.

Field Trips

"Going out" is an important part of our Montessori Elementary programme. Field trips enrich the curriculum and bring it to life. Trips outside of the familiar school and home environments allow the children to "spread their wings". Field trips will occur approximately once every two or three months. Some destinations may include The Ontario Science Centre, Royal Ontario Museum, The Toronto Zoo and Black Creek Pioneer Village; all of these venues have outstanding children's programming. At QMA, the students will be involved in researching, choosing and planning the field trips

Library Visits

In addition to our classroom library and the school library, the students at QMA will go to the Holland Landing Library Branch every three weeks to exchange books and learn library skills. The programming at the library often includes author visits which we will attend where possible.

Community Involvement

It is our duty as educators to ensure that our students are well-rounded individuals who have a desire to help others and contribute to their community. When these values are instilled at an early age they remain for life. There are many ways our students can contribute to the community, and each year we will get involved in a number of different ways. Some examples may be: sorting food at the food bank, "adopting" a park in Queensville to do spring clean-up, MS Read-A-Thon, Jump Rope for Heart, Holiday Toy Drive for the Children's Aid Society and visits to Seniors in the community.

Parental Involvement

Involvement and interest in your child's education will only help enhance their experience at QMA. We encourage you to inquire about volunteering at QMA, and feel that it is important for you to have a hands on opportunity to observe and interact with your child in their school environment.