Curriculum
The children at Forest Grove Montessori share in a unique, carefully crafted, three-year learning experience. The classroom focuses on the following areas:
Practical Life
Practical Life materials offer children an opportunity to learn to care for themselves and their environment, to develop concentration, physical coordination, and a sense of order. Activities such as preparing food, washing a table, hammering a nail, and sewing are all real and meaningful work that calls to the children to explore and to support the goal of functional independence.
Sensorial
The Sensorial materials support the development of the child’s senses to understand the concrete and abstract experiences in their world. The material isolates the qualities of touch, sound, sight taste, and smell allowing the child to further their classification of the sensorial world.
Language Arts
The language materials support children’s developing skills in written and spoken language and in their ability to understand and be understood by others. The classroom is rich in opportunity for oral language development through conversation, stories, poetry, and song. Using the language materials, children link sound and symbol effortlessly, encouraging the development of written expression and reading skills.
Mathematics
The mathematics materials support mastery of numeracy, the ability to perform math operations and to apply math skills in other settings. Children learn and understand math concepts using concrete materials they can manipulate and repeat.
Arts and Sciences
Arts and Sciences are woven into many parts of the classroom. Subjects include Geography, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Art, and Music. Examples of subject material children learn about are continents, landforms, earth layers, the solar system, ecology, plant physiology, animal classification, historical timelines, clocks, and use of the calendar. Lessons from arts and sciences are tailored to give the children a local connection and global appreciation for human cultures and the natural world.
Daily Rhythm
In order to create a routine and a smooth transition throughout the day, we perform the following rhythm each day.
9:00 - 11:30 am
morning work cycle
Individual and group lessons are offered throughout the morning
11:30 am
Morning children are picked up
11:30 am - 12:00 pm
Lunch
Children and teacher eat lunch together. Children bring a healthy lunch from home.
12:00 - 1:00 pm
Outdoor play
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Afternoon work cycle
Individual and group lessons continue. Larger more involved works are practiced.
3:00 pm
Children are picked up