The purpose of the language curriculum is to encourage clear, meaningful communication both as a means of self-expression and as the foundation of better understanding among humankind. Preparation for reading is pervasive and takes the form of reading aloud, finger plays, rhyming games, dictated stories, picture sequencing, and object categorizing, to name a few. At the elementary level, Montessori principles are applied within the context of a rich language environment. Reading, writing, storytelling, singing, and discussion of stories are closely interwoven with a study of the humanities. Colorful grammar materials help the child experience language in an orderly way and foster an appreciation for the power of the individual word.
Writing takes many forms in our elementary classrooms.
Mathematics The purpose of the mathematics curriculum is to provide students with the skills needed for daily living in an increasingly technological world and to foster the precise means of exploration that underlies all of the sciences. At the 3-6 level, all abstract ideas are first introduced using beautifully designed concrete materials. Early skills included comparison of size and quantity, classification, and linear progression. Next, the child is ready for work with materials that teach linear numeration, introduction to the decimal system, and geometry. At the elementary level, the concept of the four basic mathematical operations is developed through manipulation of the concrete math materials.