By the end of kindergarten, among 5-year-olds, “Montessori students proved to be significantly better prepared for elementary school in reading and math skills than the non-Montessori children,” according to researchers.  “They also tested better on “executive function,” the ability to adapt to changing and more complex problems, an indicator of future school and life success.” --Wall Street Journal

Montessori Academy of Owasso is a child-centered school and we believe that each student develops at his or her own pace. No students will be held back or pushed ahead simply because it is "time" to learn a new lesson. We teach in a child's Zone of Proximal Development, thereby ensuring that he or she is being challenged, yet not pushed to the point of frustration. We avoid boredom in our classrooms by always having new and challenging work for our students.

A Montessori education prepares a child for future success in the real world where she will encounter problems to solve, questions to answer, collaborative teams to join, and long-term goals to be planned.

Preschool

The benefits of an early childhood Montessori education, according to The American Montessori Society are:

• Each child is valued as an individual and educated according to his personal interests and needs.
• From a very early age, students learn how to organize, focus, concentrate, and be independent.
• Students are a part of a close-knit, caring environment as they remain in the same classroom for multiple years.
• Using their internal drive for satisfaction, students are given the freedom to choose their work within the classroom.
• Students are encouraged to find answers to their questions, such as "Why does the sun go down at night?"
• Students are taught to find their own errors within their work and self-correct until the work is mastered.

The preschool Montessori curriculum is filled with exciting and challenging areas of study, such as geography and mathematics, but also incorporates the teaching of life skills as we prepare your child to be successful in the world. 

1. Practical Life These materials relate to the care of self, care of one's space,  and grace and courtesy. These exercises enable children to develop independence, self-esteem, confidence, coordination and concentration.

2. Sensorial The sensorial materials provide the first introduction to the refinement of visual skills such as discrimination of size, height, width and breadth dimensions, as well as aural, olfactory, oral and tactile discrimination. 

3. Mathematics Ingenious manipulative materials and exercises help the child experience number and operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) very concretely so that they are well prepared to move to the abstract. 

4. Language The study of language is integrated into all areas of the curriculum.  For example, children are exposed to names of geometric shapes, parts of the flower, the names of continents and oceans in the belief that a greater vocabulary enriches the child’s general knowledge but also aids him/her in the quest of learning to read.  Children learn to read by recognizing individual sounds in words and associating them with letters and combinations of letters.  Children progress through Montessori’s sequenced, phonetic language materials at their own pace.

5. Culture Children at the primary level are very interested to learn about the world around them.  The Montessori classroom provides experiences encompassing the subjects of science, zoology, history and art.

6. Geography Discoveries are made about the people who live on different continents. Montessori students learn about food, music, clothing, traditions, holidays, customs, housing, as well as the plants and animals of various regions.  They learn to appreciate the wonder found in the similarities and differences found around the world.

Elementary

Our elementary class is designed to educate students through projects, hands-on experiences, and creative exploration. We avoid testing, drilling, and group lectures.

The hallmark of a Montessori elementary program is individualized instruction, one-on-one time between teacher and student. This allows the students to grow at their own pace and explore topics that are of interest to them.

We focus on the 4 core academic areas in this class: Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. We also believe that integrating fine arts into the curriculum is very important. These students all take piano lessons and have a piano in the classroom for daily practice. We also have a dedicated art area that allows students to be creative and inventive.

We follow the Montessori scope & sequence, aligning with Oklahoma educational standards to ensure all of our students are at or above grade level in the 4 core academic areas.

Elementary students need dedicated time for large movement, play, and free time. We recognize this and provide ample opportunities for unstructured free time.

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Our elementary students are evaluated based on a mastery system, not a grading system. Each child must achieve a certain level of mastery before moving on to a subsequent academic concept. We do not "grade" our students, as we believe there are no failing students, there are simply students who have not yet mastered a concept and require more time or an alternative teaching method for a particular area. 

We believe that all children are capable of showing us proficiency in specific subjects through projects, reports, plays, and other creative methods, as opposed to a written test for each subject.

Fun Fridays!
 On Fridays, our elementary class will devote a few hours to large art projects and making a difference in the community.

About Our Teachers

For the 2017 school year, we will have two elementary classes, group into kindergarten through 2nd grade and 3rd through 5th grade. Both classes are taught by state certified teachers who also hold Montessori diplomas. 
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