AGES 6-9 and 9-12 with Curriculum extending into High School and College Studies

The scientific design of our curriculum easily addresses the needs of advanced and struggling students alike.  Students can enjoy accelerated studies in biology, animal classification, anatomy/physiology, geometry, physics, chemistry, mathematics, literature and fine arts.  These studies are  designed to foster organization, leadership and presentation skills.

The elementary program builds on the advanced AMI Montessori Primary experience. This includes an integration of arts, sciences, geography, history, and language that engages the abstract interest of the elementary child and allows for multiple subjects to be taught in a single activity.

From egg to chick to work of art, our curriculum combines areas of study to engage the child and build a love of learning.

As in the Primary Classrooms, the Montessori materials are a means to an end. They are intended to evoke the imagination, to aid students in understanding abstract concepts. The child works within a philosophical system asking questions about the origins of the universe, the nature of life, people and their differences, etc. Interdisciplinary studies combine geological, biological, and anthropological science in the study of natural history and world ecology.

We introduce the formal scientific language of zoology, botany, anthropology, geography, geology, etc., exposing the child to accurate, organized information and respecting the child's intelligence and interests.  Students have access to complete skeletal and anatomical models to learn about complex human biological systems as well as advanced animal and plant classification materials.

The use and design of timelines, pictures, charts, and other visual aids provide an overview of the development and first principles of each discipline in human history.

A mathematics curriculum presented with concrete materials that reveal arithmetic, geometric, and algebraic concepts allows students of varying degrees of ability to easily grasp complex ideas.

We offer an emphasis on professional, open-ended research and in-depth study using primary and secondary sources (not originating from textbooks or worksheets), field studies and presentations.  This approach mirrors research design for later college studies and prepares students to address advanced coursework.

“Field Study at Fortson 4-H Center”

     

             “The First Great Lesson”

The curriculum is connected across subject areas through the use of connective narratives called "The Great Lessons."  Great Lessons span the history of the universe, from the formation of earth and its life forms, to the emergence of human cultures and the rise of civilizations. Aided by impressionistic charts and timelines, these lessons provide an overriding framework that allows students to see historical connections between different fields of study and better appreciate their usefulness.  This helps students value learning and engages their innate curiosity for additional study.

Studies are integrated not only in terms of subject matter but in terms of ethical learning, which results in appreciation and respect for life, moral empathy, a fundamental belief in progress, the contribution of the individual, the universality of the human condition, and the value of citizenship.

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