Elementary

Elementary Curriculum Overview

Meeting House Montessori School offers first through fourth grade. We have an extensive curriculum that covers Math, Geometry, Writing, Grammar, Spelling, History, Science, Biology, Music, Spanish, P.E. and Art. In addition to the core curriculum students have the opportunity to participate in field trips, ski programs, weekly trips to the public library and animal husbandry.

Below is a sampling of the lower elementary curriculum that is covered in the first through fourth grades (this is not a literal scope and sequence for the full elementary curriculum).

Math/Geometry

concept and process in operations of addition and subtraction
introduction to fractions
skip counting: powers of numbers, memorization
addition of coins, making change from notes
concept and process in operations of multiplication and division
equivalence of unlike fractions; addition of unlike fractions
basic concepts: point, line, surface and solid
names of geometric solids
study of angles: whole, straight, right, acute, obtuse; convex/reflex angles formed by a transversal
names of plane figures, including triangles and polygons
study of quadrilaterals (parallelogram, trapezoid, rhombus, rectangle, square)
study of polygons (pentagon through decagon)

Language

word study: classifying compound words, alpha order, syllabication, suffixes, prefixes, antonyms, synonyms, homophones, homonyms, homographs, guide words
mechanics: periods and capitals, quotation marks, commas, apostrophes
phonics: short and long vowels, consonant digraphs, blends, vowels, digraphs
history of writing
writing process
print handwriting
cursive handwriting
spelling tests
spelling rules: silent e, doubling final consonants, drop the “e,” plural endings
mechanics of writing

Grammar

introduction to sentence structure: “asking” vs “telling” sentences; concept of a sentence as a complete thought
function of the noun family: article, adjective, noun
function of verbs, prepositions, adverbs, conjunctions, pronouns, interjections, the four types of sentences: declarative, imperative, interrogative, exclamatory
study of style: analyzing simple texts for frequency of parts of speech
sentence analysis: simple sentences with predicate subject and object; indirect object; adverbial extensions

History, Geography and Physical Science

concepts of time: noticing changes in seasons
graphing child’s family ages
passage of years: making a personal timeline of child’s life
history of names of days of the week and months of year
telling time on analog clocks
study of fundamental human needs of various cultures
arts of a year
Roman numerals
the Gregorian calendar and BC/AD or CE/BCE timeline
the “Clock of the Eras”
the Time Line of Life: detailed research into the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic and Neozoic Eras
history of maps; puzzle mapping; compass directions
land and water forms: physical geography
work of water
sound
parts of a river
sun and earth
light
pin maps: political boundaries of continents
beginning basic research on countries of choice
nature of the elements
the “Creation Story”
composition of the earth
parts / formation of mountains
magnetism

Biology

parts of five classes of vertebrates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and animals
first knowledge of animals and plants
parts of “plants” : seaweed, moss, fens, pine trees, flowering plants, fungi
body functions of animals / “plants” : (movement, anchorage, protection, support, nutrition, circulation, reproduction, dispersal)
beginning research into animals/ “plants” of choice
parts of a flower/leaf/root
advanced botany nomenclature (eg. types of leaf margins, types of fruits, etc.)
taxonomy: classification of animals/plants according to a five kingdom model
research and guided report writing