Reading - An integral part of the academic program at
AGBMS. The Children’s House teachers
work with the young
children on phonemic
awareness and phonics using the classic
Montessori materials which allow the child to
understand that words
are composed of
sounds. Once a child learns some consonant and
vowels sounds, they start to put sounds
together to make words.
All 5-year-olds and elementary students work with a reading
teacher in small groups and one-on-one to
expand their knowledge of
phonemic awareness,
work with digraphs and blends, and practice
reading phonetic books. Once a child has a
simple understanding of
reading, he/she is
introduced to the Dolch Words. This list is
composed of the 220 most common words used in
reading, including
many sight words.
Older children work in small groups or a one-on-one situation,
based on their ability. Small reading
groups meet together
during the week to read
and discuss award winning Children’s
Literature. The discussions center on
comprehension, new
vocabulary, setting, theme,
comparing or contrasting books, and
ideas of
what can be learned from the book. The children also
work on projects, summaries, or book reports
that tie to the book
they are reading.
Spanish –Children enrolled in Elementary and Children's
House participate in Spanish class twice a
week. Using a Spanish
curriculum developed for
Montessori schools, the children learn
vocabulary through interactive songs, stories,
and games, developing
proficiency in
increasingly complex conversational patterns based
upon the vocabulary units. Advanced students
continue to build oral
skills while beginning
instruction in writing and formal
grammar.
Orff Music – Children enrolled in Elementary and
Children’s House participate in music class
once a week. Orff music
is a fun way for
children to explore music by doing what they love
to do – move, sing, dance, clap, and play.
They learn to accompany
songs and improvise
rhythms and melodies using both unpitched and
melody instruments. The children have two
performances during the
year – in December for
our Holiday Play and Concert, and in June as
part of our Graduation and Awards
Ceremony.
Art – Elementary Children work on structured art projects
every other week. After a brief lesson about
an artist or style of
art, the children create
their own masterpieces. Various media, such
as
paint, colored pencils, paper, glue, beads, etc., are used.
Film Appreciation – Elementary Children spend time one
afternoon every other week learning about what
goes in to making a
film. The value of a good
story is always emphasized as the most
important aspect. Children also learn about
entrances, exits,
framing, lighting, etc. They
enjoy learning about silent films as
well as
classics, and they love singing along to musicals.
Physical
Education – Elementary students
participate in physical
education once a week.
This is in addition to their daily outdoor
free time each day. This time is spent
focusing on working together
as a team and
developing basic skills. In the spring the children
prepare and train for the Presidential
Physical Fitness Test.
Children’s House
Extended Day students spend one afternoon a week
working on gross motor skill
development.
