Michael Duffy, co-author of Children of the Universe, offers clear descriptions of the Montessori math materials and explains how the children using them learn math while stimulating every area of their developing minds. Michael has been a Montessori classroom teacher, and a teacher-trainer for 20 years. He holds American Montessori Society credentials for ages 6-12, and has taught lower and upper elementary classes.

Please join us for this in-depth look at a math curriculum that stimulates the child’s developing brain. This program is open to the public, and is free of charge.

Child care is available for students currently enrolled at Keystone Montessori School.

Come join us at Keystone Montessori School for our Admissions Open House!

Saturday, January 21st, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

55 Middlesex Street, North Chelmsford, MA 01863

If you’re looking for a preschool, kindergarten, or elementary program that allows your child to grow and learn at his or her own pace, you’ll want to consider Keystone. At Keystone, each child works through an extensive curriculum, with coaching from our trained and experienced teachers.

Of course, all our students learn math and language. Many are reading with delight and adding four digit numbers in kindergarten! But there is so much more…

Every student has Spanish, Music, and Art weekly

Engaging materials, and puzzle maps allow children to learn about every continent and country.

Classroom theme studies may include artists, outer space, countries, and cultures.

The three-year curriculum allows each child to progress, with success, at their own pace.

Through a variety of engaging materials, children practice essential habits of mind:  concentration, coordination, independence, organizational skills, and self-confidence.

The school operates on a foundation of respect, and children act out of respect for themselves, respect for others, and respect for their environment. When your world is built on respect, bullying is just not a problem.

Come see a place where your child can build a strong foundation for future learning and leadership. Give your child the gift of a Keystone education!

What happens when poetry meets grammar?  We are finding out in our lower elementary classroom!

Our students in grades one through three have been enjoying poetry:  reading works of many poets, and writing their own poetry. Sometimes a poem is illustrated with a picture, as well. Recently, the students have brought their grammar study to their poetry exploration. Using the Montessori grammar symbols, they ‘diagram’ the poem, showing how the poet used parts of speech, in patterns, to create the flow of the poem.

In the picture above, one student diagrammed a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The shapes show each part of speech:  nouns (black triangle), adjectives (small blue triangle), verbs (red circle), prepositions (green crescent), and conjunctions (small pink rectangle).

You  may think that it’s amazing to have second and third grade students really understand grammar! It is more amazing to see them have the ‘Aha!’ moment when they see that the patterns of grammar are a part of the writer’s craft. Students are now diagramming their own poems, and enjoying exploring the poetry of Jack Prelutsky, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Rudyard Kipling, and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Here’s a quote from Maria Montessori:

“My vision of the future is no longer of people taking exams and proceeding on that certification from the secondary school to the university, but of individuals passing from one stage of independence to a higher, by means of their own activity, through their own effort of will, which constitutes the inner evolution of the individual.”

The student will wear the costume, or use the prop, and offer the first clue to classmates. If nobody guesses correctly, the second clue is offered. If necessary, the student gives the third clue to help the classmates guess his or her identity.

This year, we had Albert Einistein, Maria Montessori, Martha Washington, Roald Amundsen, Marie Curie, Theodore Roosevelt, Clara Barton, Jackie Onassis, Roy Rogers, William the Conquerer, Rachel Ruysch.

Our historic ensemble then visited the Children’s House classrooms, and told the younger students a little about their historic characters.

The First Great Lesson weaves a tale of the origins of the universe and our own planent. Using impressionistic charts and experiments directly related to the basic physical properties of matter a foundation is made for the future study of physics, chemistry, astronomy and geology.

We see one student doing the volcano experiment.

Using molasses, water, and oil, students explore how heavy things sink.

Another experiment allows the student to explore the properties of liquid, gas, and solid. By chipping at a rock, the student sees how tightly particles are bound together in a solid.

This lesson is a special presentation by the teacher, followed by individual exploration of the various aspects. Students explore

- the properties of solid, liquid, and gas

- how matter can change from solid to liquid to gas

- crystallization

- compounds and mixtures

- evaporation.

This lesson sets the stage for many further explorations in science.

At any moment in a classroom, you will see children working on a variety of things. While one child is creating letters using the Handwriting Without Tears materials, another child may be scooping apples (which develops concentration coordination, and fine motor skills). Elsewhere, two children may be working togethere on maps of the world, developing tactile sensitivity by matching three dimensional objects by touch, or writing the names of continents.

The diversity of activity, all purposeful and with concentration, is remarkable. Children learn so many skills, and academic content. At the same time, they are learning to work together, to work independently, to resolve conflicts peacefully, to manage their time, to decide what to do, and to put things away when they are finished.

 These skills are the foundation for future learning, teamwork, and leadership.