Aidan Montessori School

Aidan Primary Program Primary students are of preschool and kindergarten age, 3-6 years old, and form a community of 24 to 28 children all working together or alongside one another. Equal numbers of each level—3’s, 4’s and 5’s—create an optimum dynamic for learning. Older children are the examples for and mentors to younger children. Children 3 and 4 attend a half-day program and 5/6 year olds attend full-day.

The teacher’s role is one primarily of guide/facilitator. The child is taken through a sequence of lessons that are designed to create greater and greater skill and independence. Students, once introduced to the materials, have the freedom to move about and choose their own learning activities leading to increased confidence and satisfaction.

Dr. Maria Montessori discovered that children at this age have extraordinary powers of mind. She called it “the absorbent mind.” It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to absorb knowledge with peak receptivity. The Primary Montessori environment takes advantage of this opportunity by creating a classroom rich with material for learning

The Primary curriculum integrates several focus areas into a fully comprehensive 3 year program.

Practical life—the precise movements and sequences developed doing practical activities such as polishing, buttoning, and pouring strengthen motor skills and concentration.

Sensorial—by clarifying and putting names to the senses of sight, touch, sound, taste, and smell, a child develops knowledge of the real which is the basis for later abstraction. Many of the materials are precursors to mathematics and geometry.

Mathematics—as with the other areas of the Montessori curriculum, mathematical abstraction is mastered by manipulating the concrete.

Language—from a solid basis in spoken language, reading and writing are developed using a variety of tactile materials.

Cultural Studies—the world’s geography and peoples are explored through such materials as maps, flags, water and land forms, and books.

Integrated Art and Music—the arts are incorporated into daily classroom activities.

Spanish is introduced at the Primary level. Full-day, or kindergarten-age, students receive curriculum support from specialists in the areas of physical education, foreign language and art, in addition to enjoying field trips.

There are times in a day when the classroom moves into a hushed hum—so many children so deeply absorbed in their wonderful endeavors!