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Primary Community Each Primary classroom is composed of a multi- age, balanced gender grouping of 3 through 6 year olds. The third year, or Kindergarten age child, is an integral part of this environment. The child moves through being primarily an absorbent learner to also becoming a teacher through modeling lessons as well as social behaviors. The children learn through their peers, the environment, the didactic materials, and the guidance of the Montessori trained teacher. The child is guided through the materials in a systematic way based on the child’s readiness. The children are free to choose any material of which they have had a “lesson”. The child is naturally drawn to the materials that will challenge them as well as give them a feeling of accomplishment and internal satisfaction. The Guide’s (teacher’s) main function in the environment is to observe the child and his place in the environment. She is continually evaluating the child and manipulating the materials in the environment to assist the child in learning what they need. We are ever mindful of the “sensitive periods” of the child and introduce materials that aid the sensitive period’s development. For example: the child who is ready to tie based on the fine motor development, is given a lesson on tying and then is undisturbed in his efforts to use the tying frame repeatedly until mastered.
The foundation of the Montessori Primary environment is the care of self, care of the environment surrounding the child, and care of others through Practical Life materials. The children are given lessons on one step processes of dry pouring, spooning, tonging, wet pouring, basting, sponge squeezing, etc. that are one step processes. The lessons then have more steps in the sequence until they are washing the tables or other long lessons. The child will get the water from a source, pour the water to a bucket, soap the table, scrub the table, sponge it off, pour the water out, etc. This whole process, while being learned, may take a child 30 min. Think of the possibilities for independence, sequencing, and sense of order! Not only do the Practical Life materials teach a specific skill, but they are developing the inner characteristics of independence, concentration, coordination, and sense of order (I.C.C.O.). Dr. Montessori wrote; “How does he achieve this independence? He does it by means of a continuous activity. How does he become free? By means of constant effort. Independence is not a static condition; it is a continuous conquest, and in order to reach not only freedom, but also strength, and the perfecting of ones powers, it is necessary to follow this path of unremitting toil.” (the Absorbent Mind)
The child of 3 – 6 years is in a sensitive period for order. The child is learning to filter all the sensory input as well as working on refinement of the senses. Through the continual repetition of the Sensorial materials, the child will refine the olfactory, baric, kinesthetic, gustatory, proprioceptive, auditory and equilioceptive senses. The materials are scientifically designed with slight differences so the child’s concentration on the differences refine and hone the senses. These materials consist of smelling bottles, weight cylinders, rough and smooth boards, tasting bottles, sound cylinders, Montessori bells, Pink Tower, Broad Stairs, Red Rods, Knobbed and Knobbless Cylinders, a Geometric Cabinet and Constructive Triangle Boxes, as well as Geometric Solids (which will all be the Geometry materials of the Lower Elementary). These, and other materials, make up the Sensorial area of Montessori Education.
The Montessori Language materials are unique in their approach. The child is introduced to a wide variety of nomenclature, directions (behind, beneath, inside, etc.), things that go together, special relationships with puzzles and other manipulatives. The child is learning the skills of order (top – down, left to right), being able to pick an item out of a group, sequencing. These are all used by the child later for spelling, reading and writing. The child is then introduced to the sounds the letters make using sandpaper letters and small objects that represent the initial sound. After the child has mastered the sounds, they are introduced to spelling using the Movable Alphabet. He will begin with consonant / vowel / consonant words. He will spell and read these for many repetitions before mastery. In conjunction to this, he will begin sight words and rhyming words. The child will begin to spell consonant blends next. The child can still hear every sound, even though the words are beginning to contain syllables and are as long as 7-9 sounds. In spelling, the child is then introduced to long vowels and phonograms as well as parts of speech. What is not completed in the Primary, is continued in the Lower Elementary. In conjunction to this, the child has been using the Sandpaper letters to make the impression of the formation of the sound into the mind. He then (after completing prehensile grasp strengthening work in the Practical Life area) begins to use chalk on a no lined board, then a large lined board, then a small lined board, and finally to lined paper. The child needs to have many opportunities for success. For a child, paper is so permanent if a mistake is made. Also in conjunction, but after the completion of spelling CVC words and working with beginning sight words, the child is introduced to the written word. Again, the child’s success is important, therefore he is introduced to books where CVC and some sight words are used. Blends and long vowels are introduced in reading after they have been worked on by the child in spelling.
Concrete materials assist the child in their understanding of the quantity. Sandpaper numerals are used to make the impression of the number in the brain and hand for writing as well as number recognition. The child begins by the recognition of quantity 1-10 and symbol 1-10. They begin to put them together. The child is then introduced to the decimal system through the Golden Bead materials and learns to associate the quantity and symbol of 4 digit numbers. In conjunction with this, the child is working with the association of quantity and symbol of the teens and then tens. The materials move from the concrete to the abstract, allowing the child to absorb the impressions of the materials before abstract thought. The Primary child is capable of adding 4 digit numerals. Some children are able to achieve multiplication and/or subtraction in the Kindergarten year as well. What is not completed becomes the beginning exercises of the Lower Elementary.
The Montessori Method strives to give impressions of our wonderful Earth to this young child through Physical Science, Political Geography, Physical Geography , Zoology and Botany. At GSMS, we not only have the classical materials of the Montessori classroom, but the garden curriculum as well, used in our 6,000 sq. ft. organic garden. Developed by one of our own and used throughout the Montessori community, this curriculum brings the impressions to light through the senses. The child of this age is fascinated by small bugs and wonderful smelling and different shaped plants. The child has a physical need to be surrounded by nature and discover God’s creation and his place in that creation. These materials are used lovingly by the child to know the love of Jesus and His Father. The parables of the Kingdom of Heaven help the child to form impressions of the Kingdom through Jesus' words.
Primary students arrive at 8:30 a.m., and younger primary students stay until 11:45 a.m. Full-day Primary students stay until 3:15 p.m. Good Shepherd Montessori School also offers after school care. Designed to be flexible according to the children's needs, schedules are not structured, enabling Primary students to work independently:
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