Elementary

During these years students engage in lessons that involve more abstract thought, advanced problem solving and critical thinking. They continue to gain knowledge and self-confidence through self-motivation and self-discipline, and develop habits that foster lifelong learning.

Elementary Curriculum

AT GRACE MONTESSORI SCHOOL

1st – 6th Grades

Children at the Elementary level are in their second plane of development. The environment prepared for these children reflects this stage of development in that it allows for opportunities for them to work in groups, explore the How and Why, use their imaginations to test new ideas or create big work and extend their work and ideas beyond the classroom. These children still have the need to explore but the purpose becomes one of mastering the concepts and moving towards abstraction.

The curriculum at the Elementary level is divided into six areas: Language, Mathematics, Geometry, Geography, History and Science.

In addition to the academic areas, children are also exposed to enrichment classes such as Art at the Baum School, Yoga, Music, Interfaith Chapel, and Spanish.

Language
Geography and History
Science
Mathematics
Geometry

Begin to read independently
Sounds of the alphabet (A-Z)
Read three and four letter words fluently
Sight words
Story telling
Reading comprehension (SRA reading program)
Read fiction and nonfiction: short stories
Reading out loud
Participate in group story writing using story blocks
Making a book report
Write a simple story from personal experience
Identifying parts of speech: noun, article, adjective and verb
Compound words
Antonyms
Synonyms
Syllables
Rhyming words
Singular and plural
Gender: masculine and feminine
Spell frequently used words correctly
Capitalization and punctuation
Print letters correctly (upper and lower case)
Introduction to cursive writing
Speaking and listening (Great Books: Sun series)
Listen and respond to a variety of texts
Respond using prediction
Relate text to a similar experience
Retell stories in sequence
Participate in group discussions: Book study
Participate in show and tell
Introduction to cursive writing

Continents and oceans (identifications and names)
Map of North America
Map of United States of America
Parts of a Flag
Planets of the solar system
Sun and Earth: seasons
Different zones
Land and water forms
Attraction and gravity
Earth as a planet
Composition of the Earth
Biome Readers: introduction to the animals of North America
Identify some important natural resources and describe ways to protect them
Timeline of human beings and their fundamental needs (pre-historic)
Famous personalities in History
Holidays

Living and Nonliving classification
Classify plants and animals according to distinguishing features
Parts and body function of vertebrates: fish, amphibian, reptiles, birds and mammals
Introduction: Parts of a plant
How leaves make food for the plant
Introduction: Parts of a leaf
Classification of leaves
Introduction: Parts of a flower
Introduction: Parts of a seed
Introduction: Parts of a root
Introduction: Parts of a fruit
Magnets
Parts of the body
Talk about digestion
Food and nutrition (healthy and unhealthy food)
Three States of matter

Identify and create patterns
Understand numbers and number relationships
Place value up to 1000
Smaller than and greater than
Before and after
Problem solving: three and four addition and subtraction (regrouping)
Introduction to multiplication and division
Memorizing addition and subtraction facts up to 20
Tell time to the hour and half-hour
Read and use a calendar
Recognize, order and write whole numbers to 100 including skip counting
Make and read graphs and tables
Recognize and count pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters
Introduction to odd and even numbers
Introduction to probability

Identify solid figures & plane shapes
Introduction to fractions
Equivalent fractions
Addition and subtraction of fractions with same denominator
Parts of an angle, triangle
Types of angles, triantles, polygons & lines

Language
Geography and History
Science
Mathematics
Geometry

Learn to read independently: Chapter books
Increase sight vocabulary
Develop comprehension skills: (SRA reading program)
Differentiate fact from opinion
Read, analyzing, and interpreting literature – describe characters, setting, and plot
Make a book report
Introduction to structure of poetry and drama
Nonfiction and fiction
Writing - write narrative and informational pieces; stories, poems, haiku, descriptions, and reports
Write sentences related to a topic
Include a beginning, middle, and end while writing a story
Use descriptive adjectives and active verbs
Revise writing
Edit writing; spell most words correctly, use basic capitalization and punctuation correctly
Speaking and listening – listen to others and express themselves orally in group discussions
Participate in group discussion - (Great Books: Dragon series)
Parts of speech: noun, article, adjective, verb, adverb, preposition and conjunction
Sentence analysis: identify complete subject and predicate
Compound words
Antonyms
Synonyms
Homophones
Syllables
Singular and plural
Gender: masculine and feminine

Understanding of groups and communities
Rotation and revolution of the Earth and its effects
Seasons and movement of the earth: day and night
Tilt of the axis
Composition of the Earth
Types of rocks
Use maps and globes to locate and identify land forms and bodies of water
Fundamental needs and wants
Discuss American History
Identify famous Americans, important places and major holidays in America
Demonstrate good citizenship

Differentiate the needs of living and non-living things
Identify plant and animal adaptations to various habitats
Vertebrates and invertebrates
Parts and functions of plants, leaves, flowers and seeds
Classification of leaves, flowers and seeds
Introduction to photosynthesis
Theory of Evolution
Classify dinosaurs by their characteristics
Investigate fossils
Parts of the body
Introduction to digestion and respiration
Food and nutrition

Place value up to 1,000,000
Addition and subtraction problems: three-digit and four-digit problems with and without regrouping
Apply problem-solving skills
Multiplication: one-digit multiplier with and without regrouping
Introduction to division
Memorizing multiplication facts (1to 5)
Recognize, order, compare, and write whole numbers to 1,000,000
Count and compare collections of money that include dollars, half dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies
Rounding: tens
Telling time before and after the hour by counting five-minute intervals
Odd and even numbers

Identify and match geometrical, plane, and solid figures
Similar and congruent shapes
Fractions: identification and equivalency
Addition and subtraction with common denominator
Multiplication: fraction and whole number
Identify and explore patterns
Calendar: make a calendar and use it to solve problems
Graphs and tables
Measurement
Estimate and measure length, height, perimeter, area, volume, capacity, mass, and temperature using customary and metric units
Parts and types of an angle
Parts of triangles and quadrilaterals
Types of triangles
Types of polygons
Types of lines

Language
Geography and History
Science
Mathematics
Geometry

Learn to read independently
Increase vocabulary
Summarize and make connections
Demonstrate fluency and comprehension: (SRA reading program)
Differentiate fact from opinion, essential from nonessential information
Read, analyzing, and interpret literature – describe characters, setting, and plot
Make a book report
Identify literary devices in stories, poetry, and drama
Nonfiction and fiction
Identify dialogue of characters
Writing - write narrative and informational pieces using details
Write and support an opinion
Write a play script
Paragraph writing
Edit for spelling, capitalization and punctuation
Parts of speech: noun, article, adjective, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection
Types of nouns
Sentence analysis
Compound words, antonyms, synonyms and homophones
Singular and plural
Gender: masculine, feminine and common gender
Speaking and listening – listen to others and express themselves orally in group discussions (Great Books: Series 3)
Research – locate information from appropriate sources, organize and present a report

Movement of the Earth
Space and constellations
Seasons and different time zones
Volcanoes and earthquakes
Work of air and temperature change
Fundamental needs of people in different parts of the world
Recognize that communities are comprised of people from many cultures
Learn how people depend on each other for goods and services
Identify features and locations on globes
Theory of Evolution
Pre-historic time
Famous people in history
Discuss Civil War

Identify the life cycles of plants and animals
Parts, functions and classification of a tree, leaf, flower and fruit
Analyze changes in plants and animals and ways they survive in different seasons
Different states of matter: experiments
Different ways of combining: experiments
Sources of energy
Water cycle
Pollution and methods of conservation
Human body: digestion, respiration and circulation
Importance of exercise, rest, and proper nutrition for a healthy body
Food and nutrition
Reading food labels and understanding the content

Use numbers to count, locate, name, measure, and order
Identify place values and read numbers to seven digits
Use place value to compare, order, and round numbers to the nearest ten and hundred
Solve word problems
Count and calculate with money, make change, and use decimals and dollar signs
Finding the value of x in a simple equation
Use fact families to relate inverse operations
Use mental math strategies and estimation to calculate
Add and subtract 5-digit numbers with trading
Multiplication 3 and 4 digit numbers with a 2 digit multiplier
Division 3 and 4 digit numbers with a one digit divisor
Tell time to the nearest minute and calculate elapsed time
Graphs and tables
Measure using customary and metric units for length, weight, temperature and capacity
Use probability concepts
Research – locate information from appropriate sources, organize and present a report

Identify solids, lines, angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, symmetry and congruent/similar/equivalent figures
Find perimeter and area
Fractions: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
Find equivalent fractions
Introduction to decimal fraction

Language
Geography and History
Science
Mathematics
Geometry

History of written and spoken language
Word study including affixes, compound words and word families
Parts of speech including the noun, article, adjective, verb, preposition, pronoun, adverb, conjunction and interjection
Verb tenses
Sentence analysis
Reading and responding to a variety of literary works (Great Books: Series 4)
Reading informational text
Developing vocabulary, fluency and speaking skills
Reading comprehension: (SRA reading program)
Composition including factual writing, imaginative writing and style
Read-aloud and silent reading
Summarizing information
Essay writing
Spelling and vocabulary development

Creation of the universe
Key lessons on the concept of the passing of time and the activities on the earth both before and after the appearance of human beings
Layers of the Earth
Force and gravity, deposition
Introduction to plate tectonics / Formation of mountains including volcanic
Three states of matter
Solutions, matter in suspension, mixtures, chemical reactions
Separation, saturation and super saturation
The rotation of the Earth and its consequences
The Earth as a sphere and its consequences
The Earth tilted on its axis / Seasons / Climate zones of the Earth
Six regions of the US: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Mountain, Southwest, West
Interdependence of human beings in society / Economic geography
Fundamental needs of human beings including materials and spiritual needs
Map skills
50 states and capitals
Research projects, using library and internet resources, organize information for writing, correct documentation and formatting
Time and calendars

Needs of the plant
Functions and varieties of the leaf, roots, stem, flower, fruit and seed
Seed plants, classification, photosynthesis, plant reproduction
Animals with backbones: vertebrates vs. invertebrates
Cold and warm blooded animals
Botany nomenclature
Classification of the five classes of animals
Animal adaptations: camouflage; mimicry
Animal behaviors
Plant and animal classification
Introduction to the nervous system
Brain and its functions
Digestive and respiratory systems
Minerals, rocks
Volcanoes
Earthquakes
Introduction to the ecosystem

Decimal System’s hierarchical presentation and symbols
Long multiplication using a variety of materials and approaches progressing to abstraction
Commutative and distributive laws
Decimal fractions including simple operations
Rounding numbers to the nearest thousand
Rules of divisibility
Addition and subtraction of whole numbers and decimals
Multiplication of whole numbers and decimals
Division of whole numbers and decimals
Introduction to algebra
Data and graphs
Introduction to squaring and cubing
Long division using a variety of materials (distributive and group division progressing to abstraction)

Congruence and similarity
Equivalence
Nomenclature of polygons
Angles including the classification of triangles, parts of angles, measuring angles, and the four operations with angles
Relationships between pairs of angles including adjacent angles, linear pairs, adjacent complementary and supplementary angles and vertically opposite angle
Fractions including simple operations with both common and uncommon denominators
Adding and subtracting fractions
Multiplying fractions
Area and perimeter
Measurement including length, weight or mass, time, temperature and money
Area and the formulas that derive area: Quadrilaterals
Nomenclature of a circle
Introduction to volume
Introduction to polyhedron

Language
Geography and History
Science
Mathematics
Geometry

Improving vocabulary and comprehension
Parts of speech: all eight
Types of sentences
Transitive and intransitive verbs
Tenses
Sentence analysis and formation
Written language including heraldry, calligraphy, illustration and illumination
Composition including factual writing, imaginative writing and style
Spoken language forms such as oral reports, speeches, debates, trials, poetry, dialogue and drama
Exploration of literature – (Great Books: Series 5)
Giving oral presentations
Read-aloud and silent reading
Reading comprehension skills (SRA reading program)
Figurative language: simile, metaphor, personification
Using appropriate and effective research and organizational strategies in writing
Peer review strategies
Spelling and vocabulary development

Map skills: land forms, continents, physical geography
Mapping: Major cities around the world
Mapping: the 50 capitals and states
Work of water (Work of the river including highlands and lowlands, names of rivers, towns and cities around rivers and valleys and canyons / Rains including erosion, earth pillars and ocean waves / Work of ice including glaciers and the water cycle)
Work of air
Movement of the Earth’s crust
Rock formation
Mountain formation and fold and block mountains and kinds of faults
Early civilizations
Spread of vegetation
The development of timelines
Human Society (Interdependence of human beings in society / Economic geography / Geography nomenclature)
Migration
American history
Research project, giving oral presentations

Inventions and inventors
Periodic table of the elements
Parts of the atom
Chemical symbols of elements
Electricity
Seasons and climate change
Pollution: air, water and land
Hands on gardening, types of soil and plants
Digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems
Functioning of the human heart
Food-chain, food groups
Plant and animal classification
Classification of leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, stem and roots
Plant kingdom
Animal kingdom
Invertebrates
Ecology: Ecosystem
Earth and its atmosphere

Whole numbers and decimals
Rules of divisibility
Long division without material
Squaring and cubing
Operations with squares and cubes
Cubing binomials and trinomials
Extraction of square and cube roots
Ratio and proportions
Percentage
Time, rate , interest and principal
Intro to probability
Factors: highest common factor and lowest common multiples
Data and graphs
Introduction to algebra including balancing equations, solving for unknowns and word problems
Signed numbers including simple operations
Non-decimal bases including simple operations
Powers of numbers including expanded notation and simple operations

Number theory and fractions
Addition of fractions and mixed numbers
Subtractions and mixed numerals
Multiplication and division of fractions and mixed numerals
Tools of geometry
Measurement of angles
Perimeter, area and volume
Area and the formulas that derive area: triangles and circles
Relationships of angles formed by parallel lines
Lines including kinds of lines, parts and positions of lines
Exploration of the Pythagorean theorem
Measurement including length, weight or mass, time, temperature and money
Nomenclature and construction of polyhedrons

Parent Testimonials

Hear what our parents and caregivers have to say about Grace Montessori School.

"Our experience has been nothing short of exceptional. The staff’s communication and compassion and the Montessori learning model have all contributed to the tremendous positive growth and development of our son and his peers during our time at Grace Montessori. We would absolutely recommend families give their child the opportunity to learn from these teachers, and other children at Grace Montessori."

"My daughter attended GMS for two years in the Primary program and she absolutely enjoyed it. Her teachers, Ms. Kelly and Mrs. Attia, are wonderful, not only for what they teach the students but also because they truly like their students and appreciate who they are.”

"Sending my daughters to Grace Montessori School has proven to be the best choice for their education. Both of my daughters have excelled and we are so grateful to the exceptional primary educators who not only taught them academic subjects but also daily life skills.”

"Grace Montessori provides a nurturing, educational and caring environment that allows the child to blossom. There is also a focus on kindness, inclusivity, and goodness which makes it the best educational institution in the Lehigh Valley."

“Thanks for the many years we've had with the school. You and the staff provided such a great foundation in learning for Nora and Annie. They not only have the smarts to succeed academically, but the foundation to be good people thanks to their experience at Grace.”