Kindergarten Curriculum
 The Kindergarten program at the Eliot
Montessori School was developed specifically for
children aged 4.10 to 6 years old who are ready
for a full day Montessori classroom experience.
Our program provides children with a strong
foundation for cultural and academic excellence
through hands-on learning experiences. Here they
begin relationships and an intimate
understanding of community that continues
through their years at Eliot.
Within an inviting classroom setting, there is
an opportunity for individual instruction and
observation, which allows the teacher to prepare
an environment based on the learning styles and
needs of each child.
At Eliot, the Kindergarten participates in Open
Circle, a social competency program that
supports young children as they develop social
and emotional skills in a school setting. The
entire Eliot Community uses this curriculum at
an age-appropriate level.
One of the most fascinating aspects of
Montessori education is the use of specifically
designed teaching materials. The concrete
materials allow the child to explore their world
through their senses, by touch and motion, and
by observing and engaging with others. The
teachers guide the children through the
curriculum, allowing time needed for repetition.
Upon entering the classroom, the children take
care of their belongings, greet the teacher and
classmates and immediately engage in work
activities found in designated areas.
"The secret of good teaching is to regard the child's intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination."
Everyday Living
A major emphasis in the Kindergarten program
is becoming independent and caring for oneself
and the shared environment. Students experience
and practice acts of grace and courtesy such as
how to greet one another and how to help a
friend in need. They learn about social
responsibility and the value of respectful
behavior. The children are naturally
attracted to these exercises. Practice with
these materials prepares the child for work
throughout the curriculum by refining their fine
motor skills, concentration and independence.
Language
Throughout the school year, children are
exposed to an abundance of language, reading,
and vocabulary building materials. Through the
use of Sandpaper Letters practiced repeatedly in
different forms, children attain a strong
foundation in phonics, letter recognition, and
fine motor coordination needed for writing. With
these and other Language materials, children
will start reading three and four letter words
phonetically. Children are also introduced to
phonograms, which build their sight word
repertoire. Eventually, they move on to using
paper where they realize the power of the
written word.
Sensorial
The children’s work with the Sensorial
materials help to refine their ability to use
their senses to observe objects in their world.
They begin to compare and contrast the color,
form, texture, weight and sounds through
sorting, matching and grading exercises.
Mathematics
Entering the year, the children’s knowledge
in the math area varies, but by the end of their
time in Kindergarten, they minimally acquire the
ability to count to 100. Through use of the
Golden Bead Decimal System, compose and
recognize two, three and four digit numbers and
gain a working knowledge of the decimal system.
Geography and Cultural Studies
The Kindergarten children are introduced to
and explore specially designed maps, learning
the names of the continents and countries.
Through literature, music and artifacts the
children are exposed to different cultures and
customs around the world. History is introduced
to each child through the traditional Birthday
Walk and preparation of a personal time
line through movement and pictures.
Science
The Science curriculum is hands-on and
concrete. This dynamic classroom experience
culminates in the spring with the Science Fair,
a school-wide event in which each child shares
an experiment with the other children and
parents.
The Farm
The Kindergarten children have the unique
opportunity to study botany and zoology through
visits to the Natick Community Organic Farm. Natural
history lessons are vividly brought to life on
these visits.
Spanish
“When you learn a new language you gain
another world.” Goethe
With the objective to enrich students’
lives and to prepare them for active
participation in a multi-lingual,
inter-dependent global community, we begin
teaching Spanish in kindergarten.
Students learn greetings and simple
repetitive phrases. Soon they are able to
determine in which direction they are headed, to
offer and accept or decline objects and they can
express simple feelings. Using a variety of
manipulatives, games such as Loteria and
coloring projects they learn: numbers from 0 to
10, colors, shapes, fruits, body parts,
clothing, the weather, vehicles, the playground
and the farm, school and classroom objects.
Books are read in Spanish and other books with
cultural themes are chosen as appropriate.
“Show and Tell” features authentic articles
from Spain, Mexico, Panama and Cuba. The
children learn typical games, finger-plays and
rhymes from Spanish–speaking countries which
use movement, dance and instruments for
authenticity.
Art
Kindergarteners receive an introduction to the
art shelves: drawing, cutting and attaching,
shape and form, sewing, clay, and painting. They
exercise their skills through self-directed
projects.
Music
Students build steady beat competency; repeat
and improvise rhythmic patterns using hand
drums; begin to match pitch; explore musical
contrasts: pitch relationships, tempo, volume;
perform Sol-Mi singing games; meet instrument
families.
Physical Education
In Kindergarten children participate in physical
education classes for forty-five minutes, two
times a week. The emphasis in Kindergarten is on
helping children discover the joy in physical
activity and in fitness, while participating in
games requiring movement and learning about
rules, sportsmanship and fair play. Hand-eye
coordination as well as gross motor skill is
developed at all levels.
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