Programs
Toddler
The RMS Toddler Program is not a day care environment but rather is structured for a child’s first scholastic experience. Specifically designed for the child between 18 and 36 months, each classroom is carefully prepared to meet the emerging developmental needs at this crucial stage in life. A child of this age not only is just getting acquainted with the world around them but, just as importantly, is just getting acquainted with his/herself. This is a period of intense learning and a time when a child’s core being is ignited and at the same time, created. The amount of learning that takes place during this time is unprecedented at any other time in life and lays the foundation for all future development.
Crucially important at this stage of development is the work done to foster a strong sense of independence. As such, virtually everything in the environment is designed to support that end—from the child sized furniture and fixtures, to the free choice of and access to material, to the expectations that children do things for themselves. Our classrooms are places where young children are respected and the adults have the training and courage to allow them to exercise their own independence. Vital to the healthy construction of independence are opportunities to discover real problem solving skills as well as practice culturally accepted social skills. The children are allowed to explore the environment and the relationships around them through practical life, sensorial and physical activities.
As the day unfolds, the children engage in activities that they freely choose in the environment, each designed to develop fine motor skills and gross motor skills. Language enrichment is enhanced as the adults in the room interact with the children opportunities abound for the children to engage in self construction. Most toddlers return home to a more restful and relaxed environment and the much needed attention of family and care takers. For those who are unable to accommodate this, we offer a limited number of all day spots for toddlers.
As an education alternative to day care, our expectations for the child and for families are significantly different. When we receive a child, we expect that families have a basic understanding of what Montessori is and a genuine desire to remain at the school for the long run. Please consider carefully your desire and commitment to be a part of our community.
Children’s House
Children’s House programs at RMS consist of mixed ages from 2 ½ to about 6 years of age. The children stay in one classroom for a three year cycle (or a little more depending on age).
Montessori offers a "prepared environment" to meet the needs of the children, each child working at his or her own pace with an individualized curriculum. The child has a strong desire to learn and it is the task of the Guide, based on the child’s readiness, to determine when any give lesson should be presented. The child is then free to "perfect" the work at his or her own pace. Each child’s work is at an appropriate level so that they are free to develop concentration, coordination, a healthy work cycle, care for the environment, reality based creativity, and a good sense of self within a community. Independence and attention to tasks are developed by the use of concrete materials in various areas of the classroom. There materials are carefully prepared and maintained by the community, order being a strong tenant to their work.
Areas of work available to the children as they become ready:
Practical Life: The children engage in a variety of activities aimed at caring for themselves and their environment. These activities serve many purposes in addition to helping them acquire the requisite skills of living. Particularly important is the refinement of fine motor control, the development of extended concentration, perseverance in task completion, independence, and respect for themselves and the community. Examples of this work include: food preparation, polishing, scrubbing, pouring, dressing, and lessons in Grace and Courtesy.
Sensorial: This area of the curriculum includes material that is designed to help the child understand, categorize, distinguish, and relate new information to what they already know. They learn precise information about the environment and its properties. Each piece of material is designed to isolate a single quality: color, weight, dimension, texture, shape, smell, tone, taste, etc. This sensory foundation provides the base for physical and mental activities in learning.
Culture: This area envelopes all things that are "human" (social activities, science, geography, history, art, etc.). All subjects are presented in the environment in a flexible, responsive manner and the needs and interests of each child are considered as each lesson is offered. An emphasis on respect for nature is a highly valued aspect of this area.
Language: Language becomes a part of most lessons with the proper naming of materials and concepts. Vocabulary is enriched through special exercises presented by the Guide. By using sandpaper letters the children are introduced to the phonetic sounds of each letter. They begin to move from oral to visual communication at their own comfort level and begin to write words using a movable alphabet Crucial to our approach is the understanding that the writing precedes reading. As their comfort level goes up, children begin to write their own words and stories only to discover that these can then be read as such. This is one of the strongest "sensitive periods" in the Children’s House.
Mathematics: The children learn concepts of math through manipulation of concrete materials that will lead them, at a later age, to the abstract. Each material isolates a single concept so that the child may understand clearly as they grow in knowledge. They learn first the idea of quantity, then the idea of a symbol, and then grow in awareness of numbers and problem solving skills so important in Elementary I.
Elementary Program (E1 &E2)
The Rochester Montessori School elementary program is organized into two three-year cycles: E1 for the first through third grades and E2 for the fourth through sixth grades. As in the Children's House program, multi-age groups offer lasting benefits. By working closely with children for a period of three years, teachers know each child's learning style, strengths, interests, and capabilities. Teachers can then offer more effective lessons for meeting each child's needs. Children form lasting friendships as they their teachers develop a strong sense of community.
The classroom teachers are both instructors and guides in support of the program's academic and developmental goals. The teachers provide daily lessons that are appropriate for each child's progress and development.
Learning to become independent thinkers and self-directed are two developmental goals of the elementary program. We strive to understand and then challenge each child according to his or her developmental needs and capabilities. Children learn to become responsible for their own learning as they make daily decisions and choices in our child-centered classrooms. Becoming mindful of the consequences of choice is an essential habit for success in life.
Middle School Program
Rochester Montessori School’s middle school program for grades seven and eight blends Montessori pedagogy with the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program.1 This program takes place across several levels. Most immediately, the Middle School takes place as an academic community of classmates engaged in a program of rigorous academic study. The students will also be mentored and involved in campus management, community-based research studies, and service-learning projects. Some of their learning activities may take place through community partnerships and in a variety of settings such as university campuses, museums, industries, government centers, art studios, and non-profit organizations. Students will design, implement, and develop small business projects and micro-economies to develop the entrepreneurial skills needed as they advance in the 21st century.
When they engage in these kinds of activities, middle school students
- Become vibrant, self-sufficient, active learners.
- Develop strong academic habits and expand their knowledge base.
- Articulate their growing personal and global awareness through varying modes of self-expression.
- Engage in field experiences including land-based study and service to others.
By situating learning experiences in both local and global contexts, the program encourages students to become engaged, thoughtful, and compassionate lifelong learners who embrace the challenge of living and learning in their local and global communities. Using diverse approaches to teaching and learning, program fosters the academic, personal, and social growth of students. Through rigorous study and experiential learning, middle school students will develop a comprehensive knowledge of the world, grapple with complex issues and problems, embrace civic responsibilities, and engage with people who are different from themselves.
Our Montessori Middle Years Program (MYP) curriculum framework provides academic challenges that encourage students to embrace and understand the connections between traditional subjects and the real world. The curriculum further challenges students to become critical and reflective thinkers. The curriculum consists of eight subject groups. These subjects are integrated through the five areas of interaction. These five areas guide learning within and across the subjects.
The subjects of study are English, Spanish, humanities, sciences, mathematics, arts, physical education and technology. The five areas of integration are called Approaches to Learning, Community and Service, Human Ingenuity, Environments, and Health and Social Education. The content of each course is drawn from Montessori middle school curriculum, IB MYP guidelines, and the Minnesota State Educational Standards.
1Rochester Montessori School is a candidate school* for the Middle Years Program.
This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy – a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Rochester Montessori School believes is important for our students.*Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its three academic programs: the Primary Years Program (PYP), the Middle Years Program (MYP), or the Diploma Program (and in addition the IB Career-related Certificate). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.
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