The Montessori Program at Tobin Montessori School is organized
in a unique way. Children are grouped in clusters of classes, according
to developmental stages.
The cluster for the youngest children is referred to as Children’s House for
3, 4, and 5 year olds. The children spend three years in the same class
with the same teacher, and each year they grow in maturity and
independence. By 5 years of age the children have experienced the spiral
Montessori curriculum. They use concrete, self-correcting materials to
develop abstract concepts by exploration in math, literacy, geography,
social studies, science, practical life, sensorial exploration, art
music, and physical education.
The Lower Elementary
cluster consists of classes for 6, 7, and 8 year olds. They too enjoy
the guidance of the same teacher for their three years in this cluster
as they spiral through the elementary Montessori curriculum based on
immersing this age group in the five Great Lessons as well as math,
literacy, geometry, geography, physical and biological sciences, art
music, and physical education. From the beginning of the school year the
children are given a grand view of the universe beginning with the
Creation story.
The Upper Elementary program consists of 4th and 5th
graders. They too enjoy the guidance of the same teacher for their two
years in this cluster as they spiral through the elementary Montessori
curriculum, described above, based on immersing this age group in the
five Great Lessons, and in particular the last three Great Lessons
concerning the appearance of humans on the earth, and the establishment
of civilizations, culminating in the stories of math and communication.
In
this configuration curriculum is unfolded to the child at a time and
rate that conform to the particular developmental stage of the child. At
Tobin, there is another element at work. At Tobin, a unique coaching
team offers teachers a road to complementing Montessori with district,
state and common core standards. In addition to Montessori coaching, the
staff enjoys coaching from math and literacy coaches. These three
coaches combine their efforts to bring about a synthesis between
Montessori and the best practices of traditional education.