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Primary and Elementary Programs
With our focus on the whole child, they are able to form happy and stable friendships. Working alongside each other and together towards the same goal, they enjoy challenging each other. Striving to do bigger and more detailed work to share with their friends.

Primary

Ages: 2.9 – 6 years old

With many children this is their first step out into the world, away from their family. We strive to provide a loving space in which we provide socio-emotional support so they can safely and comfortably practice their new-found independence. Maria Montessori so beautifully phrased this search for independence as “the child’s inner need: help me do it myself”. Through each area of our environment and how we interact with the children we help them learn how to navigate their world and meet this inner need.

Practical life

Our practical life area gives the children chances to perform tasks such as folding napkins, washing their face, using a dustpan and tying a bow. The attractive and carefully assembled lessons draw in the child’s attention and set them up for success. The child builds their internal motivation through these purposeful actions and feels pride in how much they are capable of.

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Language

Building their vocabulary and strengthening pronunciation begins with games and songs. Learning letters starts with their sounds and tracing textured letters, giving them a concrete way to remember the letter’s shape. By learning the sounds of each letter, instead of its name, the later transition to reading is made easier and more enjoyable for the children.

Sensorial

Children are ever curious about the world. They revel in the opportunity to explore not only how they can perform tasks on their own but also in ways we may take for granted. From being able to judge weight by feel, differences in width and height, shades of colors, to identifying different smells and their descriptions we provide ways for the child to explore these differences in a safe and structured manner.

Math

Starting with a similar method when introducing letters, the children are given chances to trace numbers and gather items to show what each means. With specialized material the children learn to count, including the importance of teens, well into the thousands. By their second year in primary, they are playing math related games and performing basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Geography

One of the most heard songs in the classroom is a song naming the continents. They feel accomplished in this knowledge of the world. They feel pride in their ability to make maps to take home and completing puzzles of the different continents. They curiously explore pictures and books about famous historical places.

Elementary

Elementary 

Grades: 1st grade-4th grade
Ages: 6-10 years old

Our elementary program provides a welcoming space that focuses on a foundation of social-emotional awareness that paves the way for children to be connected with themselves, others and the world around them. Within the prepared environment, we guide the children in their journey of developing their love of learning, love of self and self-discipline. These things naturally grow alongside healthy boundaries and freedom within limits.

Language

Our language curriculum begins with “The Great Story of our Alphabet” that is used as an intriguing introduction and exploration of language through time and cultures. Written language occurs naturally through curiosity and is developed through sentence analysis, the writing process, research projects, fictional narratives and more. Spoken language is practiced through oral presentations to the primary children, creative expression of script writing and poetry readings. Grammar lessons are thoroughly enjoyed with a variety of symbols for all parts of speech along

 with spelling and punctuation. The love of reading and writing is a key

component in the elementary environment fostered through individuality and engagement. Maria Montessori called this “explosion into reading and

writing”.

Mathematics

The study of mathematics is first connected to the history of how human beings as people have always wanted to know about numbers and how they are linked to all parts of our lives. Through our math lessons, we are able to illuminate the discovery of patterns and relationships between various aspects of our world. If you understand the mathematics of a topic of interest, the door opens to knowing the why and how of it works. We start with engaging materials to offer a visual representation and hands on experience to the foundations of math. Through practice and discovery, the children move towards abstraction with exposure to all of the operations, geometry and algebra meeting each child where they are at—so they may be confident and successful.

Geography, History and Science

The power of storytelling is used to build a foundation of curiosity and connection to the world we live in through five great stories. These are told with great joy through impressionistic charts and experiments to encourage discussion and research opportunities
encompassing all areas of our curriculum:


-The Story of the Universe
-Coming of Life
-The Story of Humans
-The Story of Communication
-The Story of Numbers

Art

Self-expression is an integral piece of a child’s learning and we encourage children to integrate art through their individual projects as a way to enrich and expand on their academic endeavors. Group projects are completed throughout various opportunities in the community such as the San Benito County, San Benito Recology and our school-wide musicals that are student-led twice a year presented to families with a great sense of pride and creatively driven hard work.

Social Thinking

We implement the use of emotional-regulation tools through self-awareness and empathy towards others through daily practice. There is an integration of social thinking lessons to help our students navigate socially in and outside of school. As a class, we collaboratively create “Caring Community Guidelines” that are the expectations on how to connect and appropriately be present in the Little Tree Community. Children learn tools such as, “Thought bubble versus Speech Bubble”, creating compassionate boundaries with peers using “I” statements, speaking our truth kindly and clearly as well as navigating peace meetings with a solution based to solution-based.

Accountability

Children in the Elementary classroom are given ajournal. This journal is used daily to write the date and keep track of all they have done on that day. The children are able to practice their writing and their ability to use a clock while giving them the opportunity to learn about time management skills. It is a tool with which the students can comfortably learn about accountability, and reflect on the multitude of lessons they are capable of.

Cooking

With recipes from around the world, the children are able to experience holidays from other countries with some traditional foods.
Learning the basics of cooking/baking (adjusting a recipe, problem solving, budgeting and planning) the children perform each aspect from planning which recipe, making lists, going to the grocery store and making the items
for themselves and the Primary class. This is all done with diligent guidance, allowing them to build these skills in a safe and carefully regulated manner.

The child who has felt a strong love for his surroundings and for all living creatures, who has discovered joy and enthusiasm in work, gives us reason to hope that humanity can develop in a new direction.

 

- Dr. Maria Montessori

Little Tree Community- A Wildflower Montessori School

Hollister, CA 95023

(831) 801-8698

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Little Tree Community is a non-profit organization and does not discriminate by race, color, national or ethnic origin, creed, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or status with regard to public assistance. Furthermore, Little Tree Community admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletics and other school-administered programs.

Little Tree Community is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization

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