Lower School

The lower school language and literacy program focuses on developing reading, writing, listening, speaking, and handwriting skills in a progressive sequence that leads to independent mastery. 

The Six Traits Writing model teaches the craft of writing. Ideas and content, word choice, conventions, voice, sentence fluency, and organization are taught through literature, teacher modeling, and student examples. The approach has a built-in framework for providing feedback and individualized instruction.

Third through fifth graders further advance their creative and comprehension skills through the literature-based Junior Great Books reading program, which contextualizes classroom concepts.
 

The Singapore Math method of teaching and learning emphasizes the development of strong number sense, mental math skills, and a deep understanding of place value. The curriculum guides students from concrete experience (using manipulatives), to a pictorial stage (picture representations), to increasingly abstract concepts and algorithms. With problem solving at the heart of the curriculum, the intentional sequence builds a solid foundation of mathematical concepts and relationships, while fostering creative and persistent mathematical thinking.

Fifth graders begin their transition from arithmetic to pre-algebra as they apply their understanding in more complex ways and prepare for more advanced problem solving in middle school. 
 

Lower school social studies are taught thematically, giving students meaningful context to understand the relationships between geography, history, culture, government, and economics. With an emphasis on diverse populations and experiences, students develop their capacity for empathy and start to understand their place in the world. A combination of current events, research, cultural experiences, group projects, and class discussion help frame learning with varied perspectives.

Grade I: Famous Americans; the 50 US states; and current events 
Grade II: North American Indigenous Peoples and their geography; an introduction to African geography and cultures 
Grade III: Asia—focusing on the cultures of India, China, and Japan
Grade IV: Evolution of Democracy from early colonization in the Americas to independence in 1776
Grade V: Ancient Civilizations

The study of science in lower school is all about exploration and discovery—putting on boots, rolling up sleeves, and opening minds. Through classroom demonstrations, discussions, field observations, and hands-on projects, students experience the wonder of the world around them and begin their practice of the scientific method: observation, hypothesis formation, hypothesis testing, controlled experiments, measurement and conclusion drawing. With a dedicated lower school science lab, students have access to sophisticated science equipment and conduct experiments to help build a concrete body of knowledge. Fifth graders are introduced to more advanced concepts and connect scientific content to their lives and the environment in increasingly complex ways. 

World languages are an important part of a Montgomery education—building a foundation for appreciating diverse cultures and practices while providing context for individual experience. Spanish is taught in pre-k–4; In fifth grade students have the choice of learning French or Spanish through eighth grade. Language fundamentals and cultural expression are studied progressively as students develop their individual communication and global literacy skills. Language lessons have context and meaning as students explore diverse foods, customs, school experiences, family life, and geography.

Service is both a way of thinking and a way of acting at Montgomery. Yearly projects, such as developing relationships with penpals from Kenya and hosting food drives for local organizations, connect directly to each grade’s classroom curriculum so when students process new information, they understand their power to affect change in a concrete way. 
 

The goal of Montgomery's Character Education program is to promote positive social-emotional habits with developmentally appropriate activities and lessons. By modeling, reinforcing, and practicing principles of good character, students learn to manage emotions, demonstrate empathy, and resolve conflicts when they arise. In addition, morning classroom meetings occur throughout the week—setting the tone for respectful learning and establishing a climate of trust. Learn more about Character Education at Montgomery.
 

PE is central to meeting both the physical and social needs of children at Montgomery. Daily activities for students in K–2 develop basic locomotor skills as well as essential competencies like getting along well with others, working together to achieve a goal, cooperation, and good sportsmanship. With thoughtful guidance and abundant opportunities to practice, students confidently experience consistent growth.

Children in grades 3–5 participate in many games that lay the foundation for team sports. Learning the value of sportsmanship, being a good teammate, and working collaboratively are all part of the PE experience, as children develop skills specific to different sports and start to think strategically while playing.

Music instruction in the lower school is all-in—joyful singing, moving, listening, playing instruments, creating and performing. It is also an outlet for self-expression and a space to appreciate the expression of others. Using the Kodály method, students develop their innate sense of musicianship through singing while also increasing their spatial/body awareness as it relates to music.

The visual arts curriculum at Montgomery is a journey of self-expression and creative problem solving. All children explore and experiment with all media and as students move from grade to grade they build on artistic skills and concepts mastered in past years. As students become proficient in different techniques, they start to see art as a tool—not only to make beautiful things, but also to communicate ideas and concepts. Field trips augment the studio experience, so art is appreciated from multiple perspectives.

Technology at Montgomery is thoughtfully and deliberately integrated into the curriculum at all levels of instruction. As such, it is valued as a tool and instruction centers on the responsible development of skills and processes that support students’ learning and work. Students in pre-k through second grade use the computer lab for hands-on instruction and gain additional experience in the classroom to support specific projects and units of study. Technology integration for students in grades 3–5 takes place in the classrooms, where computers and laptops are used to conduct research and advance communication skills. Emphasis is on finding, evaluating, and responsibly using reliable resources to gather information. Tools that support project development and presentation skills allow students to work collaboratively and share what they’ve done while becoming proficient in a range of programs and processes (Imovie, Twiducate, Photo Story, Google Presentation, Google Docs, blogging, Wikispaces and more).