At the Montessori School of Bracebridge we share with parents a goal of encouraging each child to reach their full potential.
Maria Montessori said "Our greatest resource is the minds of our children" and we agree. We recognize children as remarkable individuals full of endless possibilities.
Our elementary curriculum is precisely suited to the needs of six to nine year olds, and is extraordinarily comprehensive. Our program covers the standard curriculum set out by the Ministry of Education and goes much further to include an enriched second language program of French and an extensive environmentally based physical and academic curriculum.
Elementary-level children work at their own pace in a non-competitive atmosphere. We work with your child to help him or her gain an understanding of self, develop sensitivity to others and master the tools and skills needed to pursue knowledge independently.
The Montessori Classroom
A Montessori elementary classroom is a rich community setting where children can fully explore their learning potentials while receiving ongoing individualized support for each of their academic, social and emotional needs. The subject areas are presented in an integrated manner using concrete, specially designed, materials that allow for both independent research and group work.
In the classroom children are free to collaborate on projects, work in small groups of their own choosing and participate in the establishment of rules and regulations within the environment. Regular class meetings encourage students to share their ideas and questions.
The multi-age class provide children with opportunities for development of broad social, academic and leadership skills. Cooperative learning is encouraged through peer teaching and social interaction.
The Montessori materials offer open-ended exploration allowing the children to progress according to individual abilities and skills.
The Montessori Curriculum
The five Great Lessons are the foundation of the elementary Montessori curriculum. These lessons are used as an introduction to all topics, providing a "Big Picture" to demonstrate how the sciences, art, history, language, geography are interrelated. From that point, students are introduced to increasing levels of detail and complexity within these broad areas. While working cooperatively and solidifying basic knowledge of reading, writing and mathematics, students research and explore subjects both insideand outside the classroom walls. Lessons given by our trained Montessori teachers spark the imagination and direct your child toward activities that exercise reasoning abilities and life skills.
Our elementary curriculum combines physical and intellectual development with the academic disciplines:
Language Arts
Language is an important part of our entire curriculum. Children have different learning styles and they are provided with different means for learning to read within the environment. In this way, each child will be able to learn to read in the style that is the easiest and most meaningful for him.
Students are instructed in the basic skills: writing complete sentences, identifying the different types of sentences, using proper punctuation.
The rules of spelling are taught based on the Spaulding Method of Spelling, developing an awareness that all words are not spelled as they sound. Students are expected to develop a personal dictionary and master weekly spelling lists.
It is our goal to ensure that each student understands how language functions in both written and oral formats. The students develop a foundation of literary awareness that will serve as a springboard for a lifelong love of learning through reading and writing.
Mathematics
Manipulation of concrete and symbolic materials with built-in error control develops sound arithmetic skills and leads the student to make his own abstractions. The student continues to work with the material until the concept has been learned. Then the student begins to work on the memorization and recollection of facts. Experience with material designed for the exploration of these concepts such as long division, fractions, area and volume allow the student to work with such ideas at a young age. Math is related to the cultural areas being explored, illustrating the practical use of mathematical concepts and their relevance to the student’s world.
Geometry
Geometry in Montessori follows the historical development of the subject. Each child follows the same sequence, first by exploring the concrete materials and later moving on to abstract formulae and principles. Both plane and solid geometry are explored through sensorial experience. The geometry nomenclature material provides the child with vocabulary which they can use to further classify their world.
Botany & Zoology
Upon entering the elementary classroom, children differentiate between living and non living, then between plants and animals through an introduction to the five kingdoms of living things. This is the natural and scientific way to divide our study into kingdom animalia (zoology) and kingdom plantae (botany).
Botany is concerned with plants and our study is divided into the following areas: the knowledge of plants, the needs of plants, the leaf, the roots, the stem, the flower, the seed, the fruit and the classification of plants.
Zoology is concerned with the study of animals. Children are fascinated by animals – their growth, their needs and their habitats.
French
Research confirms that knowledge of a second language strengthens first-language skills and that the ability to speak two or more languages generally enhances reasoning and problem-solving skills, as well as creative-thinking skills.
In our classroom French is integrated into other areas of study such as History and Social Studies providing students with the opportunity to develop and increase the students’ vocabulary, introduce them to French grammar and elaborate language structures. Spoken French is taught using the AIM method and the French readers are from the "Reading A-Z" program. The goal of our French program will be to cover the major elements of the Ministry of Ontario’s FSL Immersion criteria for grades 1 - 3.
Culture
When discussing culture in the Montessori curriculum, we refer to the study of geography, history, botany, and zoology. The Ontario Curriculum divides this area into the social studies and science and technology. The Montessori materials cover the standard curriculum and goes much further. The cultural area is where all the disciplines come together. The exercises involve precision, sensorial experience, verbal and written language, reading and measurement. Following the guiding principles in Montessori education, the child is first given the whole which is then broken up into its components. Many of the lessons in the area of social studies will be presented and studied in French.
History
The study of history begins with the development of the solar system and life on earth. A timeline of evolution is used as a beginning point for the botanical and zoological studies. The use of the timeline gives the child a scientific representation of the length of time life was developing on earth prior to the arrival of the human species. Following the study of the evolution of non-human life on earth, the child begins to study the evolution of humans and the development of early civilizations (Egyptian, Roman, etc.) and vertical studies of how a specific need has been met through time (such as housing, writing, transportation, mathematics).
Geography
The lessons of geography can be seen as an ongoing story which unfolds in chapters throughout the student’s time in the class. The information is organized from the general; beginning of the universe, to the specific; Earth, Country, City, Town. Geography is the study of land and water and also the social study of people. Children are encouraged to see the inter-relatedness of all things, particularly themselves and the environment.
Physical Education
The physical education curriculum respects the body-mind connection. It responds to the children’s physical needs and their love of movement. Cooperation and community are emphasized. The goals are to promote fitness, cultivate a positive attitude toward exercise and sports, and develop each child’s confidence. Formal physical education activities will be offered on a weekly basis and the students will take part in less formal activities throughout the day indoors and out. Activities will include: hiking, swimming, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, yoga, pilates, and karate. With the school’s focus on ecology and the environment many of our physical activities will tie-in with the "EcoSchool" themes.
Art, Music & Drama
The art program enables students to develop their skills and powers of perception and to apply themselves to the task of creating with a variety of art media. The program focuses on developing the ability to conceptualize and solve complex problems through the creative process, fostering self expression and personal creativity; children learn to care for, manage and safely use materials and equipment, while developing an understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of art. Art projects will focus on the schools "eco" theme.
The goal of the music curriculum is to give children an opportunity to participate in the joy and expression of making music as a group. They learn to identify basic tones and to read music nomencalture. Students will sing in a group, learn about rhythm, pitch, beat, and tempo. Students are given the opportunity to perform in front of an audience several times a year.
Drama is an integral part of the Montessori classroom, as children are encouraged to express themselves in a variety of ways. Twice a year, students participate in a formal performance before a large audience. Performances involve acting, singing and choreography.
