Watters Montessori Academy’s curriculum includes Practical life, Sensorial, language, Math,
Cultural, History, Computer, Spanish, Art, Music and Physical Education. All materials and activities
increase in difficulty and form the foundation needed for the next level.

Practical Life

Practical Life exercises instill care for self, for others, and for the environment.
Activities include many of the tasks children see as part of the daily routine in their home, such as
preparing food and washing dishes, along with exercises of grace and courtesy. Through these and
other activities, children develop muscular coordination, enabling movement and the exploration of
their surroundings. They learn to work at a task from beginning to the end, and develop their will
(defined by Dr. Montessori as the intelligent direction of movement), their self-discipline and their
capacity for total concentration.

The basic components of this curriculum are:

• Care of the person (Dressing Frames, Personal Care)
• Care of the environment (Polishing, Table Washing )
• Control of movement (Pouring, Sweeping)
• Social Relations ( Table manners, May I)
• Food Preparation (Spreading, Cutting, Mixing)
• Ground Rules ( Rolling a rug, Putting work away, Quiet voices)

Sensorial Work

Sensorial Materials are tools for development. Children build cognitive efficacy and
learn to order and classify impressions. They do this by touching, seeing, smelling, tasting,
listening, and exploring the physical properties of their environment through the mediation of
specially-designed materials.

The sensorial presentations are:

Level 1

• Visual Sense (color, size, shape, gradation)
• Tactile Sense (texture, weight, temperature)
• Auditory Sense (sound)
• Gustatory Sense (taste)
• Olfactory learning (learning through smell)
• Chromatic Sense (color)

Level 2

• Perception of Form – Geometry (Geometric shapes, Binomial cube, Trinomial cube)

Language: Language is vital to human existence. The Montessori environment provides rich and
precise language. Phonics-based approach is used for reading.  Each area in language has
activities that emphasize beginning, middle and ending sounds, word building and reading words.
Handwriting is a built-in feature of the language area and children learn to write as they are learning
the sounds. The children at their own pace pursue each of the separate skills involved in the
mastery of reading and writing.

The Language presentations are:

Level 1

• Auditory preparation – conversation with children through story telling (sequencing)
  poetry (rhymes and finger plays) auditory discrimination listening skills identifying
  sounds
• Visual preparation – recognizing patterns matching and sorting

Level 2 and 3

• Motor preparation – eye to hand co-ordination, and handwriting
• Analysis phonogram sound blend
• Reading on Word Level phonics reading in context

Advanced Level 3 (junior elementary)

• Logical Agreement and Correct expressions – colors/objects, Body/Objects,
  Masculine/Feminine, Singular/Plural etc.
• Study of Words – Synonyms, Antonyms, homonyms, homographs etc.
• Preparation for Composition and Punctuation

Level 4 (Linking Junior Elementary to Advanced Elementary)

• The Function of Words – Noun, Article, Adjective, Conjunction, Preposition, Verb,
  Adverb, Pronoun and Interjection.

Mathematics

The Math Curriculum follows a sequential order in a number of different areas of
study.  The materials help the child learn and understand mathematical concepts by working with
materials. This work provides the child with solid foundation for traditional mathematical principles,
providing a structured scope for abstract reasoning.
Children first learn to associate each numerical symbol with proper quantity. The child progresses
one step a time, leading to an abstract way of learning. The materials themselves contain the
pattern for presentation as well as understanding.

The sequence for presentation and learning is:

Level 1

• Numeration counting and recognition of numbers 1-10

Level 2

• The decimal system: introduction of place values and understanding the concept of
  10.
• Linear counting: visual recognition of 1 – 1,000 teens, numeration by tens, and 100
  identification counting with materials
• Introduction to four operations of the golden beads of the Decimal System: units,
  tens, hundreds, thousands used in addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division.
• Abstraction: After manipulating with the golden beads the child now works with the
  symbolic value of the stamp game.

Level 3 (Junior Elementary)

• Memorization: actual memorization of the complete tables does not begin until the
  elementary level; these activities are intended to provide exploration of
  numbers/quantities while also providing numerous opportunities for repetition and
  engaging the memory.

• Concept of Fractions is introduced using sensorial materials and then gradually
  works towards abstraction. The presentation follows:

1. Definition of the names of the Fractional Families
2. Concept of numerator and denominator
3. Names of each family
4. Commands
5. Concept of Proper and Improper and Mixed fractions

Level 4 (Elementary)

• Hierarchic Materials – The concept of the Four Mathematical operations are enforced
  on the child in a very abstract way.

The presentations are as follows:

1. Big Bank Game
2. Large Bead Frame
3. Checker Board
4. Multiples of Numbers
5. Divisibility using the Peg Board
6. Prime Factors
7. Long Division with the Test Tubes

Culturals

Geography, History, Botany and Zoology, Art and Music is presented as extensions of
the sensorial and language activities. Children learn about people and cultures in other countries
with an attitude of respect and admiration. Through familiarity, children come to feel connected to the
global human family. Lessons and experiences with nature inspire respect for all life. The
comprehensive art and music programs give children every opportunity to enjoy a variety of creative
activities, as well as gain knowledge of the great masters.

History is presented to the children through art and intelligent music program.

Culturals involve hands-on activity and in addition to the work on the shelves the children have
organized time outdoors to study nature. An onsite greenhouse helps children to learn the
importance of caring for their environment. Watters Montessori Academy has a vision of a child as a
tiny bud who we nurture, help it to blossom and set them free to become a proud and beautiful
addition to the world.

The Globe – model of our earth is taught in depth, naming the continents and countries. The flags of
different country are introduced and the children are encouraged to learn about maps of the world.