Anu Chandra, Primary Coordinator

GOALS

The teacher's role in Arbor’s primary classrooms is to observe children individually and note what they are interested in and then to guide and stimulate that interest through the introduction of materials and lessons. At the same time, our teachers make certain that children are introduced to and aware of all parts of the curriculum.

Although the classroom environment may seem academically oriented, our goals are to help children develop confidence in themselves, an independence of thought and action that encourages them to make decisions, and the understanding that they are responsible for their actions, as well as for their own learning. During their time in Arbor’s primary program we hope that children’s curiosity about the world around them increases and that they develop a sense of their obligation to help others.

SKILLS

Skills that even the youngest children start acquiring are:

Understanding Order: Learning to put things away in the proper place, keep track of belongings, and to follow the intrinsic order of the materials.

Taking Turns: Waiting to use favorite materials, have a seat at the snack table, or have the undivided attention of an adult.

Doing Things For Oneself: Zipping, buttoning, etc. are skills that come out of the necessity of taking care of oneself. Seeing older children doing these things develops interest.

Increasing Language Skills: The richness of the environment leads children to new feelings and experiences, which inevitably broaden their range of expression.

Wanting to Work: A strong drive to learn new things is developed through seeing the accomplishments of other children.

FREEDOM AND DISCIPLINE

There are three basic rules in all Arbor classrooms:

Respect yourself. Take care of your body and personal belongings.
Respect other people. Do not hurt or abuse people or their work.
Respect the environment. Take care of the materials, our classroom, and our school.

Natural consequences and our teaching of conflict resolution skills help us to be consistent and even-handed in the enforcement of these rules. As children’s self control naturally develops, they enjoy an increasing degree of freedom in the classroom. They are able to choose what they want to do, when they want to do it, and with whom.

CONTINUITY

Depending on their ages and needs, primary children stay in their class for three or four years. This allows teachers, parents, and children to develop an intimate relationship. Teachers can better recognize when a child is in a period of intense intellectual growth, needing a lot of attention and many lessons, and when that same child’s attention is clearly focused on social relations or emotional growth. Each year at the primary level is different as children move from being the youngest to the oldest students. They feel at home in the class and develop a repertoire of work as they enjoy time to practice and to repeat, perfecting skills and increasing knowledge.

RECORD KEEPING

Teachers keep written records of the individual and group lessons given to each child. This process helps teachers avoid overlooking a quiet child or over-teaching a demanding child. Progress in social and emotional development is also noted. Summary reports are prepared twice yearly for parent conferences.

PRIMARY CURRICULUM

A Montessori primary classroom includes these general areas:

Practical Life: Exercises having to do with care of self, the environment, and concern for others. Concentration and coordination are developed. Grace and courtesy skills are practiced.

Sensorial: Exercises having to do with sense discrimination, observation, and descriptive language. A clear approach fosters the continuing effort of children to categorize and organize the qualities of the world around them.

Language: Activities having to do with receptive and expressive language. Young children are interested in writing and reading. Given the opportunity, most children learn to read by age six.

Mathematics: Activities having to do with counting and number relationships, including an overview of the function of the decimal system. Careful design of materials in the mathematics area and in the sensorial area lays the groundwork for future learning in algebra and geometry.

Cultural: Experiences that provide children with information about geography, history, music, art, science, and nature study. Other areas of interest or knowledge from the hobbies or occupations of our community are explored as well.

THE ALL-DAY PROGRAM

In addition to our three traditional Primary classrooms, Arbor offers an all-day Montessori Primary Program for children ages two and a half to six. Providing families with an all-day program at Arbor allows children the option of experiencing a continuous day with the same nurturing adults and familiar Montessori home-like environment from morning to evening.

Montessori work and lessons are available throughout the core school day. After lunch two, three and four year old children rest and/or nap in a quiet area of the classroom. During this time, five and six year-old students have a concentrated work time with the teacher.

After the core school day, children who remain experience a continuing program that blends Montessori curriculum with a homelike atmosphere through additional high-quality and engaging materials.

Schedule
Children may enter the all-day class as early as 7:30am. All children are required to attend our core hours, which are 8:30-11-:30 for three and four year olds and 8:30 -2:30 for five and six year olds. Children may be picked up between 2:30 and 6:00pm.