Preschool Curriculum



Montessori Primary Curriculum (ages three to six)
As with the toddler curriculum, the primary students are taught based on ability, and not by age. The preschool classroom functions as a 3 Year Kindergarten allowing students to progress at their own pace. By spending 3 years with the same teachers, their interests and personalities are known, and students are engaged. At the primary level, each child is looked upon as an individual and is presented a curriculum unique to their ability and learning level. For this reason, some of the three- and four-year-old students are fluently reading and/or performing complex mathematical equations, while others are still working on building the skills needed for advanced academics. Each child is given the opportunity to progress at their pace, and they are each able to take time away from their academics when needed by creating beautiful artwork, maps, puzzles and other outlets for creativity. The classrooms buzz with wonderful, creative energy and learning.
Students are given lessons in small groups and individually based on ability. Monthly units are presented to the whole class such as: Peace, the continents, the Solar System and the Human Body. Students are also exposed to practical life, sensorial materials and building appropriate fine and gross motor skills.
Specific Objectives for Primary Students
Primary students at Hilltop Montessori study practical life skills, sensorial skills, language skills, math, science, and history. Click each category below to see specific objectives for preschool students to master over the course of the 3 year cycle.
- 1.00 Studies of time
- 1.10 Timeline of Earth
- 1.10.1 Introduction to the eras: Archeozoic, Proterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic
- 1.20 Introduction to peoples/events within a timeline
- 1.20.1 Ancient Civilizations: Incan, Myan, Greek, Roman, etc.
- 1.20.2 Native Americans
- 1.20.3 New World
- 1.20.4 Explorers
- 1.20.5 American history
- 1.20.5a Names of the U.S. presidents
- 1.30 Introduction to personal timeline
- 1.30.1 Family history/generations
- 1.30.2 Child’s timeline
- 1.30.2a Celebration of child’s birthday
- 1.10 Timeline of Earth
- 2.00 Measures of time
- 2.10 Days to weeks to months to year
- 2.20 Calendar
- 2.30 Timeline, passage of days from infancy to senior
- 2.40 Seasons
- 2.50 Telling time: analog
- 1.00 Pre-Reading Skill
- 1.10 Matching
- 1.10.1 Object to object
- 1.10.2 Object to picture
- 1.10.3 Picture to picture
- 1.10.4 Phonetic objects to letter sounds
- 1.10.5 Advanced: picture to word
- 1.10.6 Advanced : word to word
- 1.20 Letter and sound recognition and recall
- 1.20.1 Trace sandpaper letters
- 1.20.2 Name letter sounds
- 1.20.3 Recognize beginning consonants
- 1.20.4 Reads short vowel words
- 1.20.5 Recognizes middle vowel sounds: short a, e, i, o, u, and long a, e, i,o,u
- 1.20.6 Reads consonant vowel words
- 1.20.7 Reads words that begin or end with blends
- 1.20.8 Moveable alphabet
- 1.30 Applies sounds in combination
- 1.30.1 Reads words in combination
- 1.30.2 Word build with moveable alphabet
- 1.30.3 Spells short and long vowel words
- 1.30.4 Uses moveable alphabet for simple sentences
- 1.30.5 Reads words with diagraphs
- 1.30.6 Reads phonograms with silent e/ai/ay/a-e/ee/ea/y/ee/ie/igh/ i-e/o/oa/ow/o-e/ue
- 1.30.7 Rhyming words
- 1.40 Recalls relationships for time
- 1.40.1 Knows days of the week
- 1.40.2 Knows months of the year
- 1.40.3 Knows the seasons
- 1.40.4 Differentiates past, present, and future
- 1.10 Matching
- 2.00 Speaking Skills
- 2.10 Participates in group discussions
- 2.20 Understands ideas expressed by others
- 2.30 Expresses self logically
- 3.00 Listening Skills
- 3.10 Follows oral instructions:1-2 commands;3-5 commands
- 3.20 Listens purposefully and responds appropriately
- 3.30 Answers questions about information or story presented orally
- 3.30.1 Name main character
- 3.30.2 Can identify a character’s feeling
- 3.30.3 Summarize plot
- 3.30.4 Identify chronological order of events
- 3.30.5 Identify the problem a character faces
- 3.30.6 Identify problem resolution or moral of story
- 3.30.7 Can make predictions about future events in a story
- 3.40 Can identify speakers in a dialogue
- 3.50 Can identify to whom a pronoun is referring
- 4.00 Handwriting Skills
- 4.10 Develop fine motor control
- 4.10.1 Metal inserts
- 4.10.2 Tracing
- 4.20 Can print lower case letters
- 4.30 Can print upper case letters
- 4.40 Spaces letters within a word appropriately
- 4.50 Combines reading and writing skills
- 4.50.1 Increasing complexity: words-sentences-stories-reports-journals
- 4.50.2 Writes name, address, telephone number
- 4.10 Develop fine motor control
- 5.00 Reading Skills
- 5.10 Increases in complexity: reads sentences phonetic readers to non-phonetic readers
- 5.20 Reads with increasing comprehension
- 5.30 Summarizes key elements of a story: plot, characters, events, behaviors
- 5.40 Follows written directions
- 5.50 Reads for enjoyment, appreciation*
- 6.00 Introduction to Grammar, Rules of writing
- 6.10 Recognizes noun, verb, article, and adjective
- 6.20 Spelling
- 6.30 Applies rules for capitalization
- 7.00 Literature
- 7.10 Introduction to literature
- 7.20 Poetry
- 7.30 Famous authors
- 7.40 Caldecott selections
- 8.00 Guided Research
- 9.00 Spanish
* Series books that are used at this level: BOB Books; Modern Curriculum Press; Caldecott Books; Beginning Chapter Books (such as Magic Tree House)
Numeration
- 1.00 Numeration 0-10
- 1.10 Counts to 10
- 1.20 Utilizes numerical rods
- 1.30 Utilizes table top number rods
- 1.40 Explores sandpaper numerals
- 1.50 Explores spindle boxes
- 1.60 Explores cards and counters
- 1.70 Can describe short bead stair
- 1.80 Plays memory game for identification of numeral to materials
- 1.90 Plays shell game for identification of numeral to materials
- 2.00 Numeration 11-19
- 2.10 Counts from 11-19
- 2.20 Explores the teen board: Quantity, Symbol and Association
- 2.30 Plays the dice game for numeral identification
- 3.00 Linear counting
- 3.10 Ordinal (first, second, third) and cardinal (1,2,3) numbers
- 3.20 Positive Snake Game: Learning combination of tens
- 3.30 Completes and can demonstrate the Ten Board
- 3.40 Completes and can demonstrate the 100-Board
- 3.50 Counts with bead chains from bead cabinet
- 3.60 Identifies and completes the 100 Chain with labels
- 3.70 Identifies and completes the 1000 Chain with labels
- 4.00 Skip counting
- 4.10 Can square numbers 1-10 with bead chains
- 4.20 Can cube numbers 1-10 with bead chains
Decimal System
- 1.00 Introduced to the Decimal System
- 1.10 Quantity and symbol (Presentation Tray)
- 1.20 Decimal System Layout: 1-9,000
- 1.30 Banker’s Game (gathering quantities ie. 4,965 from other children)
- 1.40 Composition of numbers (5 stacked on 60, on 900, on 4,000)
- 2.00 Decimal System Operations with Golden Beads**
- 2.10 Static addition
- 2.20 Dynamic addition (Regrouping)
- 2.30 Multiplication: Static and dynamic
- 2.40 Static subtraction
- 2.50 Dynamic subtraction (Regrouping)
- 2.60 One digit division
- 2.70 Decimal System Division
Computation
- 1.00 Static and dynamic addition
- 2.00 Static and dynamic multiplication
- 3.00 Static and dynamic subtraction
- 4.00 Static and dynamic division
Abstraction and Memory Work
(from concrete materials to abstract computation)
- 1.00 Addition
- 1.10 Snake game
- 1.20 Addition strip game
- 1.30 Addition charts
- 2.00 Multiplication
- 2.10 Multiplication bead bars
- 2.20 Multiplication bead board
- 2.30 Multiplication charts
- 3.00 Subtraction
- 3.10 Negative snake game
- 3.20 Negative strip board
- 3.30 Subtraction charts
- 3.40 Introduction to number line with positive and negative numbers
- 4.00 Division
- 4.10 Division board
- 4.20 Division charts
Fractions
- 1.00 Introduction to concepts of fractions: Whole to part
- 2.00 Understands whole, half, thirds, etc. – ninths
Money
- 1.00 Identifies currency by name
- 2.00 Beginning currency numerical values: Penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar, dollar
Time
- 1.00 Understands analog time to hour and half-hour
- 2.00 Understands analog time to quarter-hour
- 3.00 Understands analog time to five minute increments
Measurement
- 1.00 Understand nomenclature for length, weight, volume, temperature
- 2.00 Begins to use rulers, yardsticks, scales, solid and liquid measures,
- thermometers
- 3.00 Understands simple graphs and charts, with data or pictorially
Geometry
- 1.00 Identifies geometric solids: cube, pyramid, cylinder, sphere, prism
- 2.00 Recognizes circle, rectangle, triangle, regular polygons, quadrilaterals,
- and curved figures
- 3.00 Differentiates between circle, oval, and ellipse
Mathematical Concepts
- 1.00 Introduced to inequalities of numbers
- 2.00 Introduced to sets of numbers
- 3.00 Introduced to >, 4.00 Beginning word problems at individual level
*Wide variation is expected for math level at this age, exposure is offered following stepped mastery.
**Mastery is certainly expected for static activity across addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
- 1.00 Respect of Environment
- 1.10 Cleaning skills: sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and dusting
- 1.20 Washing skills: cloth, table, and dishes
- 1.30 Returns mats, jobs, and chairs to appropriate location
- 1.40 Care of the outdoor environment
- 1.50 Gardening
- 1.60 Recycling
- 2.00 Respect of Materials
- 2.10 Protects books and all papers
- 2.20 Uses pencils, crayons, marks, paints without breakage
- 2.30 Uses materials only after receiving instruction
- 3.00 Completes Cycle of Activity
- 3.10 Can lay out a mat
- 3.20 Can carry a tray
- 3.30 Completes a task
- 3.40 Returns elements to tray in an orderly manner
- 3.50 Returns tray to shelf
- 3.60 Returns mat to storage area
- 4.00 Selects jobs reinforcing eye-hand-body coordination
- 4.10 Manages solids and liquids without spillage
- 4.20 Spooning activities
- 4.30 Locking and screwing activities
- 4.40 Flower arranging
- 4.50 Food preparation
- 4.60 Cloth folding
- 5.00 Table setting with dishes and utensils
- 6.00 Respect for Self
- 6.10 Personal care
- 6.20 Hand washing
- 6.30 Dressing frames
- 6.40 Performs exercises and dance
- 6.50 Fingerplays
- 7.00 Respect for Others
- 7.10 Grace, courtesy, and manners
- 7.20 Uses a quiet voice
- 7.30 Listens
- 7.40 Can wait a turn
- 7.50 Can walk on the line
- 7.60 Shares with others
Specific Objectives for Preschool Science:
Zoology
- 1.00 Distinguishes between living and non-living
- 2.00 Distinguishes between plants and animals
- 2.10 Describes basic characteristics of plants and animals
- 2.20 Groups animals: forest, farm, common birds, ocean life, by biome
- 3.00 Identifies two characteristics of invertebrates: insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and annelids
- 4.00 Identifies two characteristics of five classes of vertebrates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals
- 5.00 Anatomy
- 5.10 Identifies external characteristics of animals (fur, hair, skin, scales)
- 5.20 Identifies external parts of animals (dorsal fin, lateral line, eye, etc.)
- 5.30 Introduced to internal anatomy (heart, skeleton, etc.)
- 6.00 Understands basic needs of animals
- 6.10 Habitat
- 6.20 Food supply
- 6.20.1 Differentiates between food chains, webs and pyramids
- 6.30 Adaptation to environment
- 6.40 Cares for classroom pets
- 7.00 Distinguishes between herbivore, carnivore and omnivore
- 8.00 Identifies prehistoric animals
- 8.10 Dinosaurs
- 8.20 Mammoths
Botany
- 1.00 Identifies plants by size, shape, type
- 1.10 Native flowers and trees
- 1.20 Basic plants in each biome
- 1.30 Parts of plant, flower, tree
- 1.40 Introduction to basic leaf shapes
- 2.00 Understands plant life cycle
- 2.10 Function of light energy for green plants
- 2.10.1 Photosynthesis
- 2.10.2 Function of leaves
- 2.20 Understands the relationship between soil and plant
- 2.30 Uses of plants: foods, shelter, clothing
- 2.40 Cares for indoor and outdoor plants
- 2.10 Function of light energy for green plants
- 3.00 Outdoor experiences
- 3.10 Gardening
- 3.10.1 Plants seed
- 3.10.2 Cares for plant in garden
- 3.10.3 Harvests a plant
- 3.10.4 Weeds
- 3.20 Composting
- 3.20.1 Vermiculture
- 3.20.2 Introduction to process of composting/waste recycling
- 3.30 Explores nature through nature walks
- 3.10 Gardening
Ecology
- 1.00 Introduced to ecological problems
- 1.10 Air pollution
- 1.20 Water pollution
- 1.30 Deforestation
- 1.40 Landfills
- 1.50 Global warming
- 1.60 Acid rain
- 1.70 Ozone and greenhouse effect
- 2.00 Introduced to ecological problem solutions
- 2.10 Recycling: why and how
- 2.20 Energy efficiency and conservation
- 2.30 Conservation of natural resources
- 2.40 Defines and lists some endangered animals
Physical Science
- 1.00 Introduced to scientific equipment: scales, hand lens, microscope, batteries, gauges, thermometers
- 2.00 Explores properties and principles through senses, jobs and demonstrations
- 2.10 Simple machines, simple technology
- 2.20 Heat, electricity, magnetism
- 2.30 Light and sound
- 2.30.1 Prisms and rainbows
- 2.30.2 Shadows
- 2.30.3 Sound waves
- 2.40 Solid/liquid/gas
- 2.40.1 Recognizes physical changes: melting, freezing, etc.
- 2.40.2 Recognizes cause and effect
- 2.50 Weight, gravity
Astronomy
- 1.00 Identifies major elements of our solar system: sun, stars, planets, moons
- 1.10 Orders planets
- 2.00 Introduced to relationship between earth and sun
- 2.10 Seasons
- 2.20 Day and night
- 3.00 Introduced to relationship between the earth and moon: months
Earth Sciences
- 1.00 Introduced to basic landforms:
- 2.00 Characteristics of a volcano
- 3.00 Introduction to earthquakes
- 4.00 Rock/minerals
- 4.10 Basic classification: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic
- 4.20 Fossils
- 5.00 Weather
- 5.10 Basic cloud types: stratus, cumulonimbus, cirrus
- 5.20 Introduced to weather systems: rain, thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes blizzards
- 5.30 Knows the difference between climate and weather
Human Body
- 1.00 Anatomy
- 1.10 Introduction to external parts
- 1.20 Introduction to internal organs
- 1.30 Introduction to systems
- 1.40 Introduction to five senses
- 2.00 Health, food and nutrition
- 2.10 Understands and demonstrates good hygiene
- 2.10.1 Germ prevention and disease
- 2.10.2 Oral hygiene
- 2.10.3 Preventing spread of germs: cover mouth, wash hands, etc.
- 2.20 Introduced to relationship among health, fitness, exercise and nutrition
- 2.10 Understands and demonstrates good hygiene
- 3.00 Food
- 3.10 Purpose of food for life and growth
- 3.20 Understands that food has nutrients
- 3.30 Introduced to food groups and nutrition pyramid
- 3.40 Begins to make good food choices: snack and lunchtime
Specific Objectives for Preschool Sensorial Skills
- 1.00 Visual sense
- 1.10 Experience and order for size, shape and form
- 1.10.1 Solid cylinders
- 1.10.2 Pink tower
- 1.10.3 Brown stair
- 1.10.4 Red rods
- 1.10.5 Knobless cylinders
- 1.10.6 Geometric solids and cards
- 1.10.7 Botany cabinet and cards
- 1.10.8 Tangrams
- 1.20 Exposure for naming and observing relationship of lines and angles
- 1.20.1 Constructive triangles
- 1.20.2 Superimposed geometric figures
- 1.20.3 Monomial cube
- 1.20.4 Binomial cube
- 1.20.5 Trinomial cube
- 1.30 Experience and order color, hue, and pattern
- 1.30.1 Color tablets (box I)
- 1.30.2 Color tablets (box II)
- 1.30.3 Color tablets (box III)
- 1.30.4 Fabric matching
- 1.40 Exposed to art of various time periods
- 1.10 Experience and order for size, shape and form
- 2.00 Tactile sense
- 2.10 Experience tactile quality of texture, density and temperature
- 2.10.1 Touch boards and tablets
- 2.10.2 Mystery bag
- 2.10.3 Thermic bottle
- 2.10.4 Thermic tablets
- 2.10.5 Hard and soft
- 2.10.6 Treasure chest
- 2.10 Experience tactile quality of texture, density and temperature
- 3.00 Auditory sense
- 3.10 Experience and order pitch and tone
- 3.10.1 Sound cylinders
- 3.10.2 Sound bells
- 3.20 Silence game
- 3.30 Music
- 3.30.1 Gross and fine motor rhythmic movement
- 3.30.2 Introduction to reading music
- 3.10 Experience and order pitch and tone
- 4.00 Olfactory sense
- 4.10 Experience and qualify smell
- 4.10.1 Tasting jars
- 4.10.2 Smelling jars
- 4.10 Experience and qualify smell
- 5.00 Gustatory sense
- 5.10 Experience and qualify taste
- 5.10.1 Baric tablets
- 5.10 Experience and qualify taste
- 1.00 Visual Sense
- 1.10 Experience and order for size, shape and form
- 1.10.1 Solid cylinders
- 1.10.2 Pink Tower
- 1.10.3 Brown stair
- 1.10.4 Red rods
- 1.10.5 Knobless cylinders
- 1.10.6 Geometric solids and cards
- 1.10.7 Botany cabinet and cards
- 1.10.8 Tangrams
- 1.20 Exposure for naming, and observing relationship of lines and angles
- 1.20.1 Constructive triangles
- 1.20.2 Superimposed geometric figures
- 1.20.3 Monomial cube
- 1.20.4 Binomial cube
- 1.20.5 Trinomial cube
- 1.30 Experience and order color, hue, and pattern
- 1.30.1 Color tablets (Box I)
- 1.30.2 Color tablets (Box II)
- 1.30.3 Color tablets (Box III)
- 1.30.4 Fabric matching
- 1.40 Exposed to art of various time periods
- 1.10 Experience and order for size, shape and form
- 2.00 Tactile Sense
- 2.10 Experience tactile quality of texture, density, and temperature
- 2.10.1 Touch boards and tablets
- 2.10.2 Mystery bag
- 2.10.3 Thermic bottle
- 2.10.4 Thermic tablets
- 2.10.5 Hard and soft
- 2.10.6 Treasure chest
- 2.10 Experience tactile quality of texture, density, and temperature
- 3.00 Auditory Sense
- 3.10 Experience and order pitch and tone
- 3.10.1 Sound cylinders
- 3.10.2 Sound bells
- 3.20 Silence Game
- 3.30 Music
- 3.30.1 Gross and fine motor rhythmic movement
- 3.30.2 Introduction to reading music
- 3.10 Experience and order pitch and tone
- 4.00 Olfactory Sense
- 4.10 Experience and qualify smell
- 4.10.1 Tasting jars
- 4.10.2 Smelling jars
- 4.10 Experience and qualify smell
- 5.00 Gustatory Sense
- 5.10 Experience and qualify taste
- 5.10.1 Baric Tablets
- 5.10 Experience and qualify taste