Primary 9-12

In the 9-12 class the children continue to use Montessori materials to help them develop their knowledge and academic skills. The materials continue to help them abstract concepts and the older they get the more advanced their work becomes. By the time they leave the children can do work such as cubing, binomials and trinomials, square root and the analysis of complex sentences abstractly but materials and presentations from the directress support their learning from the beginning.

The children show caring towards the world at large and run both the Green committee with the support of other classes and they independently organize ‘going out’ activities or outings connected to their learning, for example, visiting University specialists, care homes for the elderly, art galleries, museums, car dealerships, etc.

They have fortnightly meetings to help plan their upcoming work and also spend time assessing (with support) whether they are meeting target areas. This helps them develop greater responsibility and helps them with their planning and independence when they move on to secondary school.

Montessori Primiary ages 9 -12The Montessori Directress and the Montessori materials facilitate their learning. Montessori’s holistic approach allows the child to develop naturally. Children build their own pattern of learning during primary school. As it is built on a strong foundation it will last them a lifetime.
At The Children’s House Primary we ensure the children are well prepared for ‘Life after Montessori’ by making certain that they leave the school having covered all aspects of the Irish Primary School Curriculum. The children do yearly Micra and Sigma T testing which is the National Literacy and Numeracy benchmark. During the primary years it is again our focus that they learn through using the wonderfully designed Montessori materials and through this work the children reach abstraction.
The mixed age group of the class helps foster positive role modelling and supports all children in their journey towards independence.

CURRICULUM AREAS

Language

The children learn about written and spoken language including grammar from a functional point of view. They develop their writing and reading skills in a stimulating environment with age appropriate stimuli and materials.

History/Prehistory

The children learn about our indebtedness towards the past and the importance of our role in the present and towards the future. They are reminded through their work of the interconnectedness of humanity and all living things.

Geography

The children learn about physical, political and economic geography. This gives them an understanding of the interdependencies of the earth and life upon it. They learn from a global level and also from an Irish aspect.

Physical and Biological Sciences

The children gain an understanding of the origins and development of the Universe. They also learn about the interconnectedness of living things on earth , the development of life  and they also learn about humans’ relationships to this development. They gain a deep understanding of animal and plant classifications and enjoy doing science experiments to support the concepts they are learning.

The children take part in national events such as the RDS Science Fair.

Art

The children learn History of Art and have opportunities to do Art activities using different mediums. They often do Art activities which are interlinked with other curriculum areas. The children take part in national Art competitions run by Texaco and the Association of Independent Junior Schools (AIJS).

 

Religion

The ethos of the school is Catholic but all denominations are welcome and attend. The children follow the ‘Godly Play’ and ‘Catechesis of the Good Shepherd’. They are prepared  for First Holy Communion and Confirmation in small groups if families wish. All children participate in moral formation.

 

Music

Children are guided in singing activities and events with guitar and piano musical accompaniment. They prepare and put on concerts, plays and dance performances three times a year. They also learn about beat, melody and rhythm. They can learn tunes on the Montessori bells.

 

Physical Education

Ball and team skills are fostered through sports activities. The 3-6 children follow the ‘Buntús Start Programme’ once a week. The Senior Class do Basketball on Wednesdays and on Friday afternoons a formal physical activity class, such as, Karate, HipHop or Soccer.

See the Learning Environment.

Foreign Language and Irish

In the Pre-primary children learn greetings, oral language and songs in a variety of languages, with an emphasis on Irish, so as to attune their ear. Irish lessons start formally in the last year of the 3-6 Class programme and continue into Primary. The children learn the equivalent of the National School Curriculum. Their work is supported through the use of specially made didactic materials. In the Primary years they start to have formal Spanish classes. The children learn a lot of their English vocabulary by looking at the word derivatives (etymology) from Greek and Latin. This helps with their vocabulary relating to Biology, Geometry, Geography, etc.

 

 

Drama

Children learn by ‘doing’ in this regard whether its formal Drama classes or working on tenses of the verb. Concepts are often reinforced through dramatic representation. Drama is also offered as an extra-curricular activity.

Working with Technology

Children learn to edit and write stories, plays and Powerpoint presentations. They also research areas of interest with a child-friendly World Wide Web.

 

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