Curriculum

Orchard Montessori has a theme-based curriculum. Each month we will explore new theme-based concepts. Maybe we will be focused on "community helpers" and learn about farmers, where food comes from and the food groups. We may focus on the season or a holiday. The theme changes frequently to keep the children interested in learning new things!

Our study theme will influence the entire classroom, including each Montessori area.

Throughout the year, there is foundation curriculum which covers five areas of learning:

Practical Life

The Practical Life area is for exploring and practicing transferring things from one place to another with pitchers, spoons, tongs or the whole hand. Children also learn to sort like things. These activities help the child to develop a stronger hand and finger grasp. They learn to concentrate and develop their eye hand coordination.

Note: The photos below were taken in my classroom in Palo Alto.

Practical Life activities, 3 & 4 y.o.

Fine motor development

Sorting activity (develops concentration)

Fine-motor & visual discrimination

Sensorial

This area of the classroom is all about the senses! A young child will match 2 colors, while an older child will grade colors from dark to light. They can shake two sound cylinders and match the two that sound alike.

Note: The photos below were taken in my classroom in Palo Alto.

The Knobless Cylinders activity

The Hexagon Box

The Pink Tower & Brown Stair combined

The Sound Cylinders

Language

Language studies are more than letter and sound activities. Children learn about opposites, rhyming, following directions and more. Many Montessori preschool children begin reading simple words because of the activities they use in the classroom.

Note: The photos below were taken in my classroom in Palo Alto.

(3 y.o.) letter matching

(4 y.o.) sentence building

Word building

Movable Alphabet

A parallel path is forged with hand-eye coordination and fine motor development to encourage a sense of success in writing and drawing.

The Metal Insets
(writing development activity)

Tracing table

Sentence writing

"6 words paper"
(write and draw 6 words)

Mathematics

The Math area starts out with very basic number and quantity activities and goes into large numbers and quantities. Yes, Montessori preschool children use thousands! They will be introduced to adding, subtraction, odd & even and other concepts.

Note: The photos below were taken in my classroom in Palo Alto.

(3 y.o.) 1-to-1 correspondence activity

The Teen Boards

The Hundred Board

The Big Layout.
Numeral and quantity association to 9,000

Art

In addition to these core areas there is always a very popular art area! The art shelf is supplied with all the things needed for your child to make their own pictures or to complete an art project on their own. We also have teacher directed craft projects that go with our themes.