Kindergarten Curriculum
There are five basic academic areas in the Montessori classroom:
* Sensorial
* Practical Life
* Language
* Math
* Cultural Studies
These five areas encompass an integrated curriculum.
Practical Life
The activities in these areas are essential in the direct development of order, coordination, concentration and independence. The indirect aim of the Practical Life activities is to prepare the children for academic readiness.
Practical Life activities encompass three (3) basic areas:
*Care of self independence in activities of daily living. (examples: tying, pouring, and sewing)
*Care of environment. (examples: sweeping, dusting, polishing, watering plants)
*Development of social etiquette and skills.(examples: practicing grace and courtesy, practicing cooperative group skills, problem solving)
Sensorial
These activities lead to independence, concentration and sense of order. Sensorial work develops a child?s visual and tactile skills in a developmentally appropriate manner.
The skills in Montessori materials like pink tower, brown stairs, knob cylinders, knobless cylinders, geometric cabinet, constructive triangles, and sound cylinders are further refined.
Mathematics
Within the Montessori approach, children develop an understanding of mathematical concepts through use of concrete hands-on material. The materials are designed in such way that they lead from concrete to abstraction step by step.
*Number Sense
Students develop an understanding of the following concepts with hands on Montessori materials:
*Place Value
-Match quantities to symbols in the decimal system - place value up to thousands.
-Carry out mathematical processes to thousands in addition and subtraction with golden bead material.
-Recognize numbers one to one hundred associating quantity and symbol.
*Math Facts and Counting
-Sequence numbers from 1 - 100 ( linear counting )
-Develop skill in skip counting
-Reinforce concepts in basic addition and subtraction facts
These concepts are introduced and practiced to attain mastery level by using hands on materials like: golden beads, stamp game, dot game, strip boards, bead frame, and bead chains. Hands on materials leads to adding and subtracting quantities into thousands with exchanges.
*Algebra and Function
-Identify, sort, and classify objects by attribute and identify that do not belong to a particular group.
-Students use hands on sensory materials like binomial and trinomial cubes.
*Measurement and Geometry
Students understand the concept of time; they understand that objects have properties, such as length, weight, and capacity, and that comparisons can be made by referring to those properties.
-Demonstrate an understanding of concepts of time: Tell time to the hour and tools that measure time.
-Practice measurement of length and width, and weight
-Days of the week, names of the month, seasons
-Practice division into equal fractions and notation
-Tally Counting
-Estimation in quantity
-Classify geometric shapes by attribute
Clock work, time lines and sensorial materials are used for measuring concepts of measurement. Geometric cabinet, constructive triangles and geometric solids are used for developing and refining skills.
*Fractions and application
-Identify nickel, dime, quarter and penny
-Count coins
-Solve word problems
Montessori materials hands on materials like skittles for fraction. Note: Worksheets may be used as reinforcement and review concepts.
*Statistics data analysis and probability
Students collect information about objects and events in their environment.
-Picture graphs
-Simple patterns
Language
*Reading
-Phonics/Phonemic Awareness/Decoding
-Identify short and long vowel sounds and basic sight words
-Identify beginning and ending consonants
-Identify consonants diagrams
-Apply skills to sound out words
-Blend sounds to read words
-Read simple sentences that include phonetic words and basic sight words
Sand paper letters, movable alphabet, object boxes, picture boxes are followed by words for the development of reading skills. The works are broken into logical and sequential parts that provide children to work on their own pace.
*Vocabulary
-Identify rhyming words, opposites, singular/plural, gender, and compound words
-Recall sequencing of events in story
-Classify objects
-Spelling
The sets of works are available to the children after the presentation has been made.
-Comprehension
-State the main idea of story read
-Recall information read
-Draw conclusions from story
-Predicting the next steps
-Locate the title, table of contents, name of author, name of the illustrator
-Literary Response and Analysis
-Distinguish fantasy from realistic text
-Identify types of everyday print materials (e.g., story books, poems, newspapers, signs, labels)
-Identifies characters, settings, and important events
-Writing
-Refine skills in printing of both uppercase and lowercase letters
-Write simple related sentences using phonetic skills
-Introduction to creative writing
Blue lined paper is introduced for refining the writing skills.
*Listening and speaking
-Recall information from listening
-Describe an object
-In own words, tell a story
-Listen to and respond to a variety of literary works : poem, rhymes, fiction and non-fiction books
Many of these concepts are worked upon the circle time. It is the time when all children come together.
*Phonics Program
In our classrooms, we use the basic Montessori Reading Program. It begins with phonetics and progresses to irregularities, according to the abilities and readiness of the individual.
The program is divided by colors into four areas. The colors isolate difficulties, making the challenge more fun for the child. The program consists of various teacher made materials (objects, picture word cards, games). Vowels are isolated in blue, while consonants are in red.
*Pre-Reading and Writing:
Children learn sound corresponding to letter or alphabet symbol by using visual, auditory and tactile senses. The child sees and feels the direction in which letters are formed by using sandpaper letters pasted on wood. At this level, the vocabulary is also enriched and sound games are played to develop hearing.
*Word Building:
In the beginning concentration is on three letter phonetic words. Several matching games of cards and/or objects are used. At this point, individual sounds are being blended into words.
The next level of concentration is still phonetic, but with words of four or more letters. Two syllable words are introduced (two vowels). Consonant blends are introduced shortly after. In words containing consonant blends, each symbol (letter) makes its own sound.
The higher level of concentration here is on the irregularities of the language, including long vowel sounds, sight words, ph for f, silent k and so on. In addition to materials described above, work sheets, Primary Phonics books, math and spelling works are used to reinforce concepts.
Cultural Studies
Children learn more about the world around them in the introductory study of Botany, Zoology, History and Geography. In Botany and Zoology, parts of the plant, parts of the flower and classification of vertebrates are introduced. In Geography, children study land forms, continents of the world and the countries of North America. History is studied through basic needs of man in relation to developing a sense of time through calendar and time lines. Historical significance of holidays celebrated is also explored. Observation skills are used to explore earth resources, chemical reactions and the human body through hands on science.
Three part cards are used to achieve the broader understanding of the cultural concepts.
Physical Education
The essential part of this curriculum is to develop and practice movement. Children begin to specifically understand relevance of personal space. Other attributes of this program are:
*Children will understand the importance of exercise
*Students will have an opportunity for self-expression and creativity through activities
*Develop understanding of movement
*Body control through tasks like walk, gallop, hop, skip sprint, jog etc.
*Children will learn cooperative games to develop and refine skills
Our well-rounded program provides regular opportunity for kindergarten children to participate in specialized programs staffed by resource specialists.
*Develop esthetic expression and appreciation through art, drama, and music
*Develop strength, agility, endurance and good sportsmanship through positive language
*Reinforce academic skills through state-of- the art computer programs
*Practice hands-on Science in Science lab
Words, phrases, concepts, and ideas students should be familiar with:
Beginning sounds: Truck/trumpet, Scoop/skate, pot/plug, sheep/shelf, thumb/thirty,
Rhyming words, cook/hook, street/feet, chair/pear, bride/slide, saw/paw, barn/yarn, soap/rope,
g-guitar, s-safe (box), f-funnel, l-leg, pr-pretzel, cl-clothes, sn-snack, tr-tree, gl-glove, fr-frog,
p-penguin, w-waterfall, h-hive, l-lock, tw-twins, dr-dress, ch-chess, st-stairs, th-thimble, cr-crab,
sw-swing, g-girl, r-rocket, b-balloon, t-top, d-down, m-meal, sc-school, p-pan, br-bread, c-candle, p-penny, sh-shoe, fl-flag, h-hammer, dr-drum, b-boy, e-eyes, cl-cloud, n-nest,
Words that go together:
Tractor-farm, grass-cut, airplane-flying, fill-water, pet-dog,
Words children should understand:
Diving,
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