Programs

The New School Montessori classrooms are organized according to the Montessori three-year age groupings:

Preprimary: We have two Preprimary classes for 3 to 6 year olds. Kindergartners participate in special afternoon lessons while younger children nap or engage in other activities. The teacher-to student ratio is 1 to 10. Hours extend until 6:00 p.m. with a 1:00 p.m. option for 3 and 4 year olds.
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Elementary: Our lower elementary program is for children aged 6 to 9; the upper elementary is for 9 to 12 year oIds. The teacher-to-student ratio is 1 to 12. Along with studying language arts, math, geometry, natural and physical sciences, history and geography, students enjoy special programs in music, Spanish, physical education, dance and art.
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After school programs, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., extends the elementary day to meet the needs of many families. Children enjoy constructive after school activities such as games, sports, reading and arts and crafts in a relaxed, homelike environment. We offer after school clubs and lessons for an additional fee. These activities, which change seasonally, includes fencing, yoga, gaming, drama, science, cooking, basketball and jewelry making.

Summer Program: Our school year follows the traditional school calendar. An 6-week summer program for children ages 3-7 combines the familiar school-year routines with the unique summer activities. Tuition is an amount of the annual tuition, prorated weekly.

Additional information

Preprimary: 3 to 6
Dr. Maria Montessori characterized the preprimary child at this age as having “an absorbent mind,” soaking up knowledge automatically. As a result of this natural tendency, she felt that children learn most happily and productively through independent work in an environment that has been specially prepared to meet their developmental needs.

Our prepared environment abounds with activities which are attractive and interesting to children and which give them clear messages on how to succeed. Teachers design work which builds eye-hand coordination, concentration, manual dexterity and self-reliance. Pre-reading and writing skills and and basic math concepts are introduced in individual and group lessons at a pace which is developmentally appropriate for each child. Our goal is to nurture and encourage the preprimary child's natural love of learning.

Our kindergarten program enriches the regular preprimary curriculum for our five year olds. Each afternoon is devoted to an advanced lesson in a different subject area such as history, biology, physical science or cultural geography. The children also swim once a week at a nearby pool. These kindergarten lessons are stimulating and fun. Because they are focused and structured for a group, they prepare the children for the format of an elementary program.
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Lower Elementary: 6 to 9
We teach reading with a multi-sensory method drawing upon the child's own experiences, interesting themes and relevant information for subject matter. This "whole language" approach promotes reading through the use of familiar and predictable words and phrases. We supplement this method with traditional phonics and sight word drills. Handwriting, spelling and composition are taught as an integrated set of skills which the children apply in creative writing assignments, research reports and daily journal writing. Computers are used as word processors and for research and skills practice.

Children learn mathematics concretely through specially designed materials which lay the groundwork for later stages of cognitive development. First introduced at the Preprimary level, these hands-on Montessori materials enable children to build a solid foundation in number theory, computing skills and logical problem solving. Later children translate this concrete experience of mathematics into abstract understanding and computation. Geometry studies help children bring application and theory together.

An integrated curriculum of history, biology, geography and the physical sciences addresses really BIG questions about time, life and the child's place in the universe. As a apart of an introduction to history, each child creates a time line of his/her own life. We investigate a variety of cultures past ad present to understand how human beings adapt and meet their universal needs. Students are also introduced to the evolution and classification of the five kingdoms of living things.
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Upper Elementary: 9 to 12
We emphasize reading and effective self expression. Students explore varied literary forms through individual and shared reading. Our creative writing program allows children to try different styles and structures. Rules of spelling and language mechanics are taught and practiced. Grammar concepts such as parts of speech and sentence structure are studied in depth.

Research projects teach selective reading, organization and clarity in writing. We also stress keyboarding and word processing skills. Oral presentations allow students to develop poise and confidence in speaking before a group. Each 6th grader applies his or her accumulated skills to research, write, edit and present a yearlong research project for the assembled community of classmates, staff and family.

Using the solid conceptual base acquired in the 6 to 9 program, students become expert at abstract operations and problem solving. Montessori materials are used to compute operations with decimal numbers, to calculate squares and cubes of 2, 3, and 4 digit numbers, to extract the square and cube roots numbers and to formulate equations for calculating areas and volumes. Students complete the program with an introduction to Algebra.

We trace the development of early human beings and study the Great Civilizations. We explore American culture, history and geography through research projects, lectures, field trips and simulations. In-depth studies in the physical sciences and biology match the child's natural enthusiasm with subject matter. Annual class trips combining study and travel, teach children practical life skills like management of money and clothing. At the 9 to 12 level, we focus on guiding children to develop as effective, independent and responsible students in preparation for life after The New School Montessori.
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