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Pathfinder
Academy Curriculum
Pathfinder
Academy is a Montessori school dedicated to preparing students for
life.
The
Montessori method of education focuses on creating independent,
responsible, lifelong learners who view learning as a natural part
of their everyday lives. This goal is achieved through the
following key methods:
1.
Great emphasis is placed on carefully preparing the
environment:
A.
Montessori
materials offer a
multisensory experience that usually includes a self-correcting
aspect. This allows the environment to benefit a wide variety of
learning styles and promote independent exploration.
B.
Independence is
fostered. There is
freedom within a structure. Students are allowed to have an
increased degree of control over their own education, as they are
ready. This results in inspiring independence and lifelong
learning.
C.
Respect for each
individual and the
classroom environment is of utmost importance. This creates a
respect and benevolence towards the self and others as well as a
healthy sense of responsibility.
D.
The multi-aged
classrooms help foster
opportunities for children to be both mentors and apprentices to one
another. A desire to do as an older child does serves as a natural
means of self-motivation for the younger students. Whereas serving
as a teacher to a younger child can be a means to reinforce a
concept as well as build confidence. Social interactions are
encouraged.
2.
Great emphasis is placed on the training of the teacher:
A.
Montessori teachers
must be well-rounded individuals.
The Montessori curriculum is an integrated approach, which demands a
high level of knowledge about a wide variety of topics.
B.
The teacher is
required to get extensive training
not only in the use of the Montessori materials, but also in how to
prepare an environment. The training that Montessori teachers
receive at any given level always includes material that is both
above and below what would normally be covered for the age range
they teach. This recognizes that students’ skill levels can vary
greatly.
C.
Montessori teachers
are trained observers and guides.
Because students move through the curriculum in a self-paced manner,
the teacher must observe closely and track individual’s progress.
They must consider both the strengths and weaknesses of a student in
order to best guide him/her.
The Preschool Program (3-6 year olds)
The
Preschool curriculum is divided into seven major areas: Everyday
Living, Sensorial, Language, Math, Geography, Science and Cultural.
The following is a description of each area.
Everyday Living
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The exercises in everyday living help the child learn to take care
of himself and his environment. He specifically lengthens his
ability to concentrate, develops coordination of large and small
muscles, becomes independent by making choices, and learns order by
following a specific sequence of steps to complete a task. The
lessons and materials prepared by the teacher include body
management, grace and courtesy, primary movements of the hand, care
of the person, and care of the environment.
Sensorial
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The rationale behind the Montessori sensorial materials comes from
the belief that in a young child’s mental development there exists
“sensitive periods.” Sensitive periods are times when a child has an
insatiable appetite for a particular skill or knowledge. It
manifests itself by repetition. The child will do the work over and
over again. Sensitive periods characteristic of the three to six
year old group are: absorption of all images in the environment,
heightened development of the senses, muscular sensibility- habit of
touching, a need for order, a need for listening to and repeating
language, a need for writing, a need for work- hands-on constructive
experiences, and a need for detail and small objects. For example,
as a young child builds the pink tower (a Montessori material), he
absorbs its mathematical proportions visually and in his
musculature. These experiences prepare him for the next curriculum
area: math.
Math
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The Montessori math lessons allow the child to build a concrete
association between memorized symbols and quantities. The child
holds and feels the quantity of ten as he counts it. He then labels
it with the symbol ten. Math includes introduction to numbers,
extensive work with the decimal system including the addition,
subtraction multiplication and division of complex numbers, how to
count to and write the numbers 1-100, work with the teens and tens,
and skip counting and beginning memorization work for simple math
facts.
Language
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The Montessori method used in language is phonics. It includes
vocabulary, hand preparation, metal insets, sandpaper letters,
moveable alphabet, writing skills, phonetic games, puzzle or “sight”
words, phonograms, reading, classification, grammar, reading
commands, and simple sentences. The preschool classroom is
saturated with books and story telling to promote communication,
listening and reading skills.
Geography, Science and
Cultural
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These curriculum areas include many hands-on activities and
incorporate among other things: art, art history, cooking, and
music. Specific lessons in geography are: where we are, land,
water, and air, how animals travel, the sandpaper globe, the
continent globe, extensive continent coverage, animals associated
with each continent, land forms, flags and different countries.
Science, particularly biology and ecology, are integrated into these
lessons. Students also explore physical science concepts such as
light, sound, magnetism, and buoyancy.
The Elementary and Jr. High Programs (6-14 year olds)
The
Montessori elementary program is traditionally divided into two
classrooms each spanning a three-year age range. The Lower
Elementary is comprised of 6-9 year olds, the Upper Elementary is
made up of 9-12 year olds and the Jr. High will have children 12-14
years old. The curriculum is divided into the following areas: Math
(including Geometry), Language, History, Science, and Geography.
One of the
unique programs at Pathfinder Academy is our comprehensive History
and Science curriculum. This will be presented on a 3-year cycle.
Literature, writing, art and other hands-on experimentation will
also be integrated with these themes. All elementary students will
be studying the same topic, but as expected the Upper Elementary and
Jr. High level students will get into much more detail, whereas the
Lower Elementary presentations are more impressionistic.
Year 1:
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History - The Ancients
Students will study the formation of the universe, evolution,
development of man, formation of civilizations, Mesopotamia, Ancient
Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome, and one other ancient civilization
(Indus Valley, Ancient China, Ancient Japan, etc.).
Science – Biology and Matter
Students will study classification of life, classification of
animals and plants, needs of plants and animals, biomes, food
chains, the Paleozoic Era of the Timeline of Life (6-9 year olds)
detailed studies of human evolution (9-14 year olds), human anatomy
(all) and physiology (9-14 year olds only), cells. Matter: states
of matter, mixtures, changes in states, air and water.
Year 2:
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History – The Middle Ages through
the early Renaissance
Students will study history from approximately the 400’s to the
1600’s. This will include the Vikings, Medieval Europe and the Age
of Exploration.
Science – Earth Science, Space,
Chemistry
The following topics will be covered; the depth in which they are
explored will depend on both the age and interest of each student:
The layers of the earth, land and
water formations, rocks and minerals, the rock cycle, erosions, the
power of water and wind, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes,
the solar system, types of stars (9-14), constellations, map
reading, models of atoms, chemical reactions, periodic table (9-14),
acids and bases (9-14).
Year 3:
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History – The Renaissance through
Modern Times
Emphasis will be placed on the Age of Enlightenment, Colonialism and
Early American History (up to the 1900’s). The greatest amount of
time will be placed on Colonial America and the development of our
government. The Westward Expansion and the Civil War will also be
covered.
Science – Physical Science,
Inventions.
Students will explore heat, light, sound, gravity, Newton’s Laws,
simple machines, work, force, energy, electricity, and will do an
extensive unit on inventions/inventors.
Whenever
appropriate and possible, trips, experts, literature and art
projects will be used to enhance the students experience. For
example, during year 2 students will take a field trip to the Armory
in Worcester, MA in order to learn more about medieval times. Also,
there is a great deal of quality children’s literature that can
either be read aloud or explored in literature groups. For example,
Catherine Called Birdy, Adam of the Road, A Wind in the Door, Ella
Enchanted, Beowulf, and the Canterbury Tales.
Both
elementary groups also cover the following curricular areas:
Language, Math (including Geometry) and Geography.
Language
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(6-9 year olds)
Reading
Many students enter a Montessori elementary program already reading.
However, for beginning readers the main approach is a phonetic one.
Students must know all of the letter sound relationships and then
begin with CVC words using short vowel sounds. They simultaneously
learn sight words. Students progress through various phonograms,
blends, dipthongs, to short sentences and I CAN Read books as soon
as possible. From early on children are encouraged to do research
which involves reading to gain information. They also take part in
reading/ literature groups when they are proficient enough readers.
Students are
read to daily from a wide variety of genres. This gives them many
opportunities to learn about elements of stories or language that
may still be beyond their own reading levels, but not beyond their
comprehension.
While in
reading groups, students are taught skills of comprehension,
elements of a story, descriptive and expressive language and
reading.
Writing
Handwriting
Students at Pathfinder are taught printing and cursive using the
D’Nealian Method of handwriting.
Creative
Writing
Students beginning story writing by drawing pictures telling a
sequence. From the beginning they are told to pick a character and
then the character should have a problem that then gets resolved.
These students may then write the story themselves as best they can
through phonetic spelling or they can dictate stories to a teacher
depending on skill and comfort level. Beginning writers are not
asked to revise. As students’ skills develop they are asked to do an
increasing amount of revisions or editing. Mini lessons are taught
on using descriptive and precise language, developing characters,
setting the mood, describing the setting, planning the plot etc.
Non-Fiction Writing
Students in a Montessori setting do a lot of research from the early
grades onward. They are encouraged to use books, encyclopedias, and
computers as resources. They are taught to summarize and put
information into their own words. As they get older they are taught
how to write information in paragraph form using the 4 square
method. Finally they are taught how to create longer reports using
a five paragraphs method. Students have a wide variety of ways in
which they may write up information to share from a poster to
creating books, to creating interactive models.
Grammar
Montessori made up a series of impressionistic lessons and specific
symbols in order to help students better memorize the functions of
the following parts of speech: nouns, articles, adjectives, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, interjections, and conjunctions.
Students also learn about subjects, predicates and direct objects.
Specific
Skills
Spelling
Alphabetical order
Antonyms
Synonyms
Homonyms
Abbreviations
Capitalization
Punctuation
Contractions
Plurals
Poetry
Language
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(9-14 year olds)
Reading
Students at this age will take part in more literature groups as
well as have more independent reading assignments. Literature
groups will be linked to the other areas of the curriculum or
explore classic and award-winning children’s literature. A variety
of examples from different genre will be used to point out the link
between reading and writing. Highlighting descriptive language and
effective techniques will maximize the students’ own writing
abilities to write well. Students will continue to develop their
understanding of elements of a story such as plot, setting,
characters, and resolution.
Writing
Students will continue to develop their ability to write in a
variety of styles: persuasive, narrative, and expository. They will
be expected to give more in depth reports as part of their work. In
their sixth grade year there is a culminating project called a
Senior Report which is a year long study encompassing all aspects of
a research paper. The students must then present their project
orally to the class.
Grammar
Students at the 9-14 level get into a great deal of detail in this
area of study. Not only due they become very proficient in their
understanding of all of the parts of speech, in addition, they learn
about clauses, types of phrases, active voice, passive voice, and
sentence diagramming.
Specific
Skills
Spelling
Paragraph writing
Note taking
Creating an Outline
Creating a Bibliography
Organizing your Writing
Vocabulary (emphasizing Greek and Latin roots)
Hyperbole, similes, metaphors
Antonyms
Synonyms
Homonyms
Abbreviations
Capitalization
Punctuation
Contractions
Plurals
Poetry
Math
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(6-9 year olds)
Maria
Montessori created many special math materials that are designed to
guide a child from a concrete understanding of a concept to an
abstract one. In the Lower Elementary classroom, students use a
variety of materials to learn how to do all four operations with
numbers into the million’s place. In addition, they also are
exposed to:
Skip
Counting
Measurement
Money and Time
Word problems
Memorization of basic facts
Fractions
Geometric solids
Plane figures (triangles, quadrilaterals, and polygons)
Analysis of triangles
Points, lines, and rays
Types of angles
Measurement of angles
Relationships of pairs of lines
Perimeter and area
Symmetry
Roman Numerals
Decimals
Parts of a Circle
Factors
Multiples
Similarity, congruency, equivalency
Math
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(9-14 year olds)
Students
will continue developing their understanding of the concepts learned
in the 6-9 class. The following list is concepts that may be
covered in the Upper Elementary class. How much an individual child
learns will in part be determined by his/her own ability. The
curriculum goes well beyond what is usually taught to this age
level.
Multiples
Factors
Divisibility
Advanced fractions
Decimal fractions
Algebraic decanomial
Square roots
Cube roots
Cubing
Percents
Ratios
Negative and positive numbers
Equivalencies
Area of polygons
Area of triangle
Area of circles
Solid geometry
Volume of solids
Pythagorean theorem
5 regular polyhedrons
Geography
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(6-14 year olds)
The
Montessori method approach is different from most traditional
approaches in that it starts by teaching a child about the Universe
and then moves inward to the Earth and the seven continents. When
beginning their in-depth study of a continent, students begin with
the one in which they were born. At Pathfinder Academy, we have
tied in geography and the use of maps with the History studies
whenever possible. In addition, students will do extensive work
with flags; puzzle maps, and pin maps that show modern political
borders, names and capitals. Students will work with a wide variety
of maps (political, topographical, economic, etc.). |
