The Montessori Primary Years Program for Ages 6 - 12

Primary-aged children have an amazing capacity to reason. The combined power of their reasoning intellect and imagination are so potent that virtually any concept or system – no matter how difficult or abstract – can be presented in such a way that they can begin integrating this knowledge.

The focus is on learning any subject from many directions through all disciplines. Materials are uniquely presented in an Primary Years Montessori classroom, beginning globally and historically and working toward the local and present.

Time lines, charts and experiments inspire systematic research and understanding of broad areas of learning. IMS’ Montessori Primary Years Programme also operates from the understanding that an important challenge at this developmental stage is for children to discover their place within a group and within society as a whole. Thus, much of the activity at the Elementary levels takes place in groups, with children sharing, collaborating and exploring material together. The buzz of debate, discussion and disagreement fill the IMS Elementary classroom.

The Primary (Elementary) teacher is a generalist who opens the doors to whole fields of study, showing each student the connections between ideas, and encouraging exploration of the limitless potential for learning.

IMS' Montessori Primary Years Program is divided into two multi-age settings: Lower Primary for 6-9 year olds, and Upper Primary for 9-12 year olds.

Fundamental to Montessori theory is the multi-age classroom, as children can work with children of different abilities in different subject areas. Each Elementary classroom includes 25 children working individually or in groups. The children learn from and share with one another as well as with the teachers. Each classroom has two teachers, at least one of which is a fully qualified Montessori teacher. One teacher is a native-English speaker, and one is a native-Mandarin speaker. Specialists in Montessori music, art and physical education also interact with the children on a routine basis.

IMS' Primary classrooms are designed to encourage children to wonder and explore in bright classrooms which incorporate the best of eastern and western cultures. A tapestry of languages – Chinese, Arabic and Greek – may be the focal point of a display of the mathematical patterns found in nature. An art table holds books about famous artists - Leonardo da Vinci and Tang Yin, and materials on the history and development of calligraphy and paper making are next to the science experiment area.

Fully equipped computers, a library, private reading nooks, and group spaces are contained within the Primary classroom space. In addition, the primary years campus has a library, IT room, dance & music area, auditorium and outdoor gardens and basketball courts.

Mathematics

Montessori mathematics integrates Arithmetics, Algebra and Geometry into a system where each illuminates the others.

Children use a wide variety of carefully constructed materials to lead them to an understanding of mathematical operations and concepts. A systematic series of activities and exercises help the child to discover what it really means to add numbers together, divide a whole into many equal parts, and recognize similarities and equivalencies in two and three dimensional shapes.

Gradually the child moves from concrete to symbolic math, and eventually enjoys and understands abstract math at an advanced level.

Children in a primary years classroom are explorers. They thrive on every opportunity to discover the laws of their environment. Mathematical laws fascinate them. They are excited by large amounts up to 1,000,000 and explore their values, sequence and rules. Because the materials promote discovery, children frequently identify math as a favourite subject in school.

During their time in Montessori primary years classroom children will:

Work with the four operations: addition, multiplication, subtraction and division using whole numbers, decimals and fractions.
Explore the rules for factors and multiples.
Build square numbers on bases 1 to 10.
Memorize number facts by skip counting by 2,3,4, up to 10.
Read data in pictograph, bar graph, circle graph forms.
Use one- to- many correspondence e.g. one tree represents 1,000 trees.
Estimate length, capacity and mass using non-standard and standard units of measure.
Measure time and temperature using standard units of measure.
Investigate and identify all geometric solids. • Identify, measure and construct (using appropriate geometric instruments) angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons and circles. • Demonstrate equivalency, congruency, symmetry and similarity.
Read, write and spell all mathematical vocabulary used in the 6 to 9 curriculum.
Read and write mathematical symbols for concepts e.g. <, >, =, + etc.
Apply math skills to daily activities e.g. baking, weather charts, gardening, map-making, budgeting.

The math curriculum is designed to meet all academic learning styles and abilities., supported by the multi-age environment. The child who requires additional time to fully understand a concept will have that time. Children, who grasp the concept quickly and are ready for more challenging work, will move on to new challenges. No child is expected to progress at someone else’s pace. Emphasis is always placed on achieving one’s personal best.

Language Activities

As language serves as a foundation for much of what the child learns in all other areas, reading, writing, and oral expression are fundamentally important in both English and Putonghua. Through the child’s earlier experience with sound, phonics, and writing, as well as sensorial experience with grammar, children begin to develop an almost instinctive sense of language. With this foundation, teachers encourage children to pursue reading, to write creatively, to interpret drama, and to improve their reading skills as they explore all disciplines.

The Chinese language program is patterned as closely as possible after the native language experience: first oral, with rhymes, philosophical stories and songs; then character recognition and reading; and finally writing and grammar, all of which incorporatie ideas from Montessori schools in China, Taiwan, and Singapore.

The primary years language curriculum offers children a carefully structured program of oral, reading and writing skills in both English and Putonghua:

Vocabulary enrichment
Comprehension
Sentence analysis
Spelling / proper character formation
Grammar
Dictionary usage

These concepts are introduced to the child in the early part of the curriculum. They build on literacy skills that children have already acquired in the early childhood program.

A holistic approach to reading is encouraged. This allows children to follow their own interests in learning, as one child may want to know and write about dinosaurs while another will prefer to explore and record the qualities of magnets.

Emphasis is placed on the development of excellent writing skills. The children write every day and on many topics. The conventions of written language: punctuation, capitalization, spelling and sentence structure are taught as specific lessons and then applied to the child’s own work.

Strong research skills develop as the child learns where and how to locate information, and how to classify and organize it appropriately.

These skills are applied to the study of subjects across the curriculum. The child discovers that knowledge in one area may also be related to other areas. For example, the study of early life on earth will move from prehistory, to botany, climate and math; throughout this learning experience the child’s oral and written language skills will improve.

Creative writing in all its forms: stories, poetry, journals and drama is nourished and valued in the Montessori classroom. The primary child takes exceptional pleasure in playing with words. Unusual words, long words, precise words, are a fascination. to children at this age. Their capacity for enrichment is limitless at this age, and is evident in the amount of writing they choose to do during the course of a day.

Oral language skills are strengthened by encouraging children to present their projects and read their stories with confidence, clarity and expression.

Good literature is always available in the classroom and the school library. The children enjoy reading well-written story and information books in all subject areas across the curriculum.

On completion of the primary years language curriculum the child is expected to read fluently and understand chapter and information books. They are also expected to gather and organize information from a variety of sources, use the conventions of writing accurately and make clear oral presentations to the class.

Science & History

Children learn about other disciplines by starting at the beginning: the origins of the universe and the formation of the stars, planets, the sun and the earth. Time lines, charts and research cards on the advancement of civilizations help children study areas of interest – Geology, Biology, Geography and History. Different periods of history are explored broadly, and students pursue many areas in depth.

Artistic Expression

Children study the need for artistic expression throughout history and are encouraged to express themselves. Music is presented as a language, using a combination of rhythmic approach, Montessori Sound Analysis, and musical composition. Drama and movement provide children the opportunity to use their bodies as an instrument of expression. A music specialist works weekly with each child. In addition to Reggio-based art activities encouraged by the classroom teacher, an art specialist meets with extended day children each week.

Physical Education

Elementary students learn organised sports such as basketball, volleyball, and floor hockey in gym. Movement classes feature folk dances from other countries and creative expression through dance and drama. After lunch, primary school day children play in the indoor or outdoor play area. In addition, the classes work with a P.E. instructor weekly. Students are encouraged to participate in after school programs such as judo or ballet.

Evaluation

The Montessori Program is very much in tune with the highly respected International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program. In addition, children take US and British standardized tests regularly. International Montessori School (IMS) also provides a qualitative evaluation of each child’s development, taking into account the whole child. Instead of traditional grades, every staff member who has worked with a child during the year provides a personal and specific evaluation. Conferences to discuss each child’s development are held twice a year. Teachers communicate frequently with parents through notes, phone calls, and regular IMS communication channels.

“Going Out”

Small groups visit local museums, factories, and agencies to pursue their interests and to learn about the community in which they live from the "experts". Going out into the community is integral to the primary child’s need to explore the world beyond the classroom. Planning and organizing of the Going Out activity is initiated and carried out by the children, with guidance from a teacher. This experience gives the maturing primary student the confidence to interact with adults to complete a full cycle for a project, from definition of what needs to be done, who needs to be contacted, who needs to go, permission slips, how to get there, how much money is needed, what questions need to be asked of whom when we get there, and then incorporating the entire experience into a meaninful report for presentation to the rest of the class. Most adults cannot believe what Montessori students can do!

Wilderness Experience

Elementary students experience nature by camping in the New Territories or visiting Kadoorie farms.

Celebrations and Performances

We celebrate holidays from around the world with costumes, food, and ceremonies. Potluck meals are opportunities for families to get to know one another. In addition, students produce theatrical or musical performances during the year.

“My daughter has flourished at Montessori – she now looks at things from so many points of view and is devouring books as fast as she can get her hands on them. Any child who spends a number of years in this atmosphere surrounded by the Montessori philosophy is getting a wonderful start.”