The Montessori elementary curriculum is vast, the width and breadth of which I have not fully explored in 20+ years of teaching. Each year I find myself overwhelmed looking at the behemoth of the science and cultural curriculum integrated with math, language, reading, art, music, physical education, practical life exercise, and grace and courtesy.
I take a deep breath and remember the curriculum is deep and wide by design and not meant to be taken in in one year, some of it never being tapped at all.
The Montessori elementary curriculum spirals over six years of learning (first through sixth grade). The linear path takes children through the core elements of education while allowing individual interests and aptitudes to flourish and learners to dive more deeply into specialized areas. The breadth and width of the curriculum extend learning beyond traditional borders.
Children’s vivid imaginations become the springboard for education as teachers present stories to introduce subjects and sub-topics of learning. These grand stories are called Great Lessons and Key Lessons.
The Great Lessons
Five Great Lessons introduce the curriculum subject areas to students each year. The Great Lessons are stories that capture children’s imaginations and inspire independent work and study throughout the school year. The lessons are repeated each year, but children become fascinated and interested in different aspects of the stories while reveling in their familiarity.
The Key Lessons
Key Lessons are given within subject areas of the Montessori elementary curriculum to introduce strands and topic threads of study. Each subject comprises strands with lessons on various topic threads within the strand.
Strands in the subject area of Language include phonics, reading, grammar, word study, mechanics, and sentence analysis.
The grammar strand includes the topic threads of nouns, articles, verbs, prepositions, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, and interjections.
The verb topic thread includes lessons on verb tense, the three sounds of -ed, passive and active, auxiliary verbs, etc.
Key Lessons engage a child’s imagination with visual presentations.
The curriculum structure looks something like this:
Great Lesson
Subject Area
Strand
Topic threads
Lessons
The curriculum integrates reading and writing throughout the subject areas through nomenclature cards (labeling parts, types, and information with diagrams and pictures), appropriately leveled research books, and writing research reports.
The First Great Lesson: The Universe and the Earth
The First Great Lesson introduces the study of science. The subjects introduced in this story include the universe and solar system, physical geography (earth science), physics, the scientific method, experiments (practical life and math skills), art projects, and research (reading and writing).
The Universe
The sun, the phases of the moon, the planets, and the constellations begin an exciting investigation. Younger children study the names and properties of planets and constellations. Older children study the life cycle of a star (stellar nucleosynthesis) and calculate planet size and distance.
Physical Geography
Children study land and water forms, biomes, weather, water cycle, rock cycle, nitrogen, cycle, and the elements found on earth. Research projects culminate in models and charts.
Physics
The three states of matter are investigated with experiments. Newton’s Laws are tested. Children build simple machines.
The Second Great Lesson: Life on Earth
The Second Great Lesson introduces life on earth. The subject areas flowing from this lesson include botany, zoology, art (drawing diagrams, booklet making, coloring parts of animals), and research (reading and writing).
Botany
Botany lessons include parts, types, and functions of plants. Roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruits are studied in depth. Children classify real specimens, draw diagrams, and find examples of types in nature. Older children study plant cells.
Zoology
Zoology lessons include parts, types, and functions of vertebrates and invertebrates. Older students study animal Cells: eukaryotic and prokaryotic.
The Third Great Lesson: Humans
The Third Great Lesson introduces the history of humans. The subject areas from this lesson include the history of civilizations, political geography, history timelines, physical education and health, music (genres, composers, famous compositions), literature, and art (art genres, famous artists, famous pieces of art, and art mediums).
History
Children learn about the needs of people and how those needs are met throughout history. The study of ancient and modern civilizations begins. History timelines are investigated. Children study the clock’s origin to tell time and study the origin of the days of the week, and months of the year.
Political Geography
Political geography begins with continent study, country study, the United States and presidents, and famous people throughout history. Children use puzzle maps to learn the names of countries and cities within each continent. Physical geography, botany, and zoology overlap as children locate important land and water forms, and identify plants and animals native to a country.
The Fourth Great Lesson: Communication and Writing
The Fourth Great Lesson introduces the history of human communication, particularly writing. The subject areas include reading and language.
Reading
Reading is integrated throughout the curriculum, however phonics is explicitly taught and supported with decodable readers.
Language
Language strands include phonics, grammar, word study, mechanics, and sentence analysis.
The Fifth Great Lesson: The Story of Numbers
The Fifth Great Lesson introduces the history of numbers and counting from notches on bones to computer technology. This story grounds mathematics as a needed tool in life. The subjects continuing are mathematics and geometry.
Mathematics
The math strands include linear counting, the decimal system, operations, memorization, fractions, measurement, and numeration.
Geometry
Students see the connection between the earth and geometry. They see how structures are built using the principles of geometry. Basic concepts, 3-D and 2-D shapes, lines, and angles are all explored in depth.
Geometry is connected to the decimal system using Golden Beads, multiplication bead layouts, and squaring and cubing numbers using the Decanomial Bead Bars. Geometry is connected to algebraic formulas using binomial and trinomial cubes.
Integrated “Extras”
There are subjects typically considered “extras” in traditional education. Often these subjects get left behind or are struck from the curriculum due to increasing pressures to perform in reading, math, and, science. These “extras” are integrated into the Montessori elementary curriculum described above, but bear closer inspection here because of their importance in childhood development.
Practical Life
Practical life activities find their way into the elementary classroom through class jobs, cleaning, organizing materials, making materials, science experiments, and follow-up work.
Art
Art is integrated through the curriculum as a way to synthesize understanding of learned material. This is seen through projects using various art mediums: clay, collage, chalk, watercolor, drawing diagrams, etc.
Music
Music shows up in many ways. Classrooms often have a set of bells or a small xylophone. Learning songs are utilized. Famous musicians and their compositions overlap with the history curriculum area.
Physical Education (in addition to movement in class and daily playtime)
Physical education is about moving the body, coordination, sportsmanship, and learning and following rules.
An Easy Way to Implement Montessori
If you want to implement the Montessori elementary curriculum in your homeschool, introduce your children to the subjects with the Great Lesson Stories. Instill in them a sense of wonder and show how the subject areas are connected. There are many “official” Great Lesson scripts out there, but you can make up your own story just as well. Gather books from the library, print pictures from the internet, and launch yourselves into inquiry and research for the love of learning!
Introduce lesson topics in visual ways with pictures and objects forming your own Key Lessons.
Show your children the decimal system using Legos of 1, 10, 100, and 1,000.
Viola! A Key Lesson.
Introduce them to the preposition using a box and a ball. The ball in the box. The ball on the box. The ball under the box.
Viola! A Key Lesson.
Use your children’s imagination (and your own) as a springboard for learning. Have fun!