In the primary classroom, children work in four main areas:

• The practical life area has lessons on care of the self, care of the environment, and grace and courtesy. Children learn to be independent in spirit and refined in motor skills and processes.

• The sensorial area has lessons that focus on the qualities objects possess such as color, form, weight, and pitch. With the manipulation of materials, children learn about the qualities and apply the corresponding language such as yellow, broad, heavy, and high. They also learn to seriate objects and qualities, a skill required for language and mathematics.

• The language area has lessons that train the children for a rich spoken language, the ability to write and read, and extensions that begin the development of scientific, musical, and geographical concepts.

• The mathematics area has materials that facilitate the understanding of the decimal system and the four main operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It includes the study of measurement and fractions.

Rather than pulling children into specialized classes for music, art, and physical education, these are integrated into the learning environment. The materials are part of the students’ day-to-day education.

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The elementary prepared environment builds on the foundation of lessons learned in the primary classroom. Children at the elementary level (called junior) work in four main areas:

• The language area has lessons on the history of language; grammar and parsing of sentences; word study; varied forms of writing such as essays, creative writing, poetry, research; interpretive and analytical reading of fiction and non-fiction; calligraphy; debating; theater; and book making,

• The mathematics area has lessons on the four operations of math using whole numbers, fractions, decimal fractions, and calculating in different bases. They include the study of logic, measurement, and the laws of the functions of number such as the commutative and distributive laws. There is work with squaring, cubing, square root, and cube root. The children study applied mathematics regularly during the entire experience in the elementary.

• The geometry area is extensive. The children begin with naming and defining two and three-dimensional figures. They study equivalence, similarity, and congruence. Area and volume are studied with the children deriving the formulae needed. They study the history of geometry and the theorems of Pythagoras and Euclid.

• The cultural subjects area has lessons in geography, history, and biology. Geography includes composition of the universe, geology, and physical, political, and economic geography. History includes music history, art history, and the history of humans from their beginning to the present. There is a focus on timelines and fundamental needs of humans. The biology area has lessons from the advent of life on Earth to the present based on the five kingdoms, cell structure, and human body studies.

The children work together to perform and document scientific experiments, write research reports, prepare timelines, and analyze data. Rather than pulling children into specialized classes for music, art, and physical education, these are integrated into the learning environment. The materials are part of the students’ day-to-day education.

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In our adolescent community students begin converting their primary and elementary education into meaningful work, in preparation for their entry into adult society.

• Humanities classes invite students to consider their role within the larger context of human history and culture. Seminars explore major philosophical questions through classic and modern literature from around the world; individual and group research projects are based on the needs and interests of students as a real, contributing member of society.

• Occupations classes ask students to tackle current, real-world problems using practical application of the various sciences. The emphasis is on understanding why and how science aids humans in fields such as agriculture, ecology, geology, human development, meteorology, and animal care.

• Mathematics is focused on historical discoveries and real-world application of increasingly advanced math. Montessori students are already well-versed in geometry and early algebraic concepts; the adolescent program builds on that work, guiding students through their math curriculum with the same project-based approach used for the study of history, civics, and science. 

• Creative expression and physical expression are critical to the healthy development of teens, and are a part of everyday life in the adolescent community. Creative expression includes performing arts, visual arts, and creative writing. Physical expression includes both formal physical education classes and necessary, purposeful activities around school such as gardening.

• Community life and a working microeconomy (student-run small business) fulfill the emerging adult need to participate in society in meaningful ways, and are a regular part of the adolescent Montessori experience.