Pre-Elementary Curriculum
At Bellevue Montessori School, your child's days are filled with
rich and varied curriculum.
Our teachers have been carefully trained to ensure that the exciting
and productive experience of Montessori learning unfolds for each
child in the classroom.
The Montessori curriculum is divided into four core areas of
study: Practical Life ,
Sensorial,
Mathematics and
Language.
A rich supplement of natural and physical sciences, cultural
studies, fine arts and perceptual motor training enrich the child's
daily life and spark interest for his or her future studies.
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Practical Life
During the first two years, students are introduced to the exercises
of Practical Life, such as spooning beans, pouring water, and
polishing silver. These exercises satisfy the child's need to
imitate adult behavior and achieve increasing levels of independence.
They serve to lengthen attention span and aid in the development
of fine motor coordination. As time goes by, Practical Life exercises
evolve from care of self into care of others and care of the environment,
which lead to activities such as science experimentation and discoveries.
Examples
of Practical Life curriculum
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Sensorial
Sensorial exercises involve innovative educational materials
that assist the child in the development and refinement of his
sensory organs. The child learns to grade and sequence objects
according to various attributes, giving the student a clear, deep
understanding of sequences, groups and sets. These activities
prepare the child for the more advanced math and geometry activities
of the kindergarten year. The student also meets a rich vocabulary
in the process and learns to discriminate perceptually, using
the senses.
Examples
of Sensorial curriculum
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Mathematics
Mathematics is introduced individually as the child demonstrates
interest and readiness. We match each child's ability to the appropriate
materials so that his or her learning experiences are positive, rewarding
and provide optimum learning at each stage of development.
Introduction to mathematics begins with a clear, sensorial impression
derived from manipulation of objects, movement and activity on
the part of the child.
As each math concept is internalized, the child weans himself
naturally from concrete objects and progresses to the abstract
level that is required for advanced math curriculum. This method
of instruction, devised by the genius of Dr. Montessori, has proven
to be successful in teaching math skills while enabling the child
to enjoy working in this subject.
Each child benefits from this concrete introduction to abstract
concepts such as decimal system identity, commutative and associative
properties, and cube vs. square concepts. Older students
work with the math operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication
and division using Montessori Golden Bead material. The success
that the child meets here inspires confidence and a desire to
seek out future learning experiences.
Examples
of Mathematics curriculum |
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Language
The language program begins with readiness activities. It is
imperative that each child be allowed to progress to a state of
physical and mental readiness before formal language exercises
are introduced. The child experiences matching cards, stories,
poetry, listening games and other preparatory activities.
As the teacher ascertains the child's readiness, he or she is introduced
to language through our phonetic approach. Language is taught
through a variety of multi-sensory activities: visual, auditory,
tactile and kinesthetic. This ensures success by providing the
appropriate experience for each child's individual learning patterns.
As the child differentiates and recognizes sounds, he or she begins the
process of word building and then blending sounds into meaningful
reading. During the kindergarten year, student reading skills
typically range from the early stage of phonetic reading to the
study of the functions of the parts of speech.
To guarantee success and pleasure, the reading child is guided
carefully through the Montessori curriculum.
Examples
of Language curriculum
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Cultural Enrichment
In addition to the core curriculum, your child will be engaged
in delightful activities that instill a lifelong love of sciences,
history, cultures and the arts. Our school is infused with music
of many varieties and peoples. The foreign language specialist
teaches songs, stories, games and activities that introduce
students to other cultures.
Each year, geography is studied in depth. Students learn about
physical and political geography, people and flags of distant
countries, and the cultural similarities that unite all people.
Music, art, architecture, and food are a part of this experience.
Examples
of Enrichment curriculum
Learn more about Pre-Elementary Admissions.
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