Montessori Programs

Three-Day Program
The Three-Day Program is designed specifically for three-year-olds and is a half-day program, meeting on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Both a morning and an afternoon session are available, each with approximately 15-17 students. The Orff Music specialty is offered in this program. A master teacher as well as an assistant teacher oversee each classroom.

Five-Day Half-Day Program
The Five-Day Half-Day Program is a multi-age program geared for children three to six years old. Both a.m. and p.m. programs are available, Monday through Friday. It is an academic program with specialties in the Orff Music program and physical education. A master teacher and an assistant teacher are in each classroom.

Three- and Four-Year-Old Extended Day Enrichment Program
The Three- and Four-Year-Old Extended Day Enrichment Program is a split program with half of the day being spent in a three-to-six-year-old Montessori classroom for academics and the other half of the day in an enrichment class designed for three- and four-year-olds. This program has both a master teacher and an assistant teacher.

Five-Year-Old All Day (Kindergarten) Enrichment Program
The Five-Year-Old All Day Enrichment Program is the Kindergarten program. Like the Extended Day Program for three- and four-year-olds, the five-year-old child spends half of the day in a three- to-six-year-old Montessori classroom and the other half in a Kindergarten enrichment classroom. The five-year-old All Day students study more thematic units, and also receive instruction in the Orff Music program, physical education and foreign language (French or Spanish). Both a master teacher and an assistant teacher facilitate this program.

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Field trips, parties, plays and performances are all part of the Montessori experience. Field trips to the Pumpkin Farm, the Cincinnati Zoo and Sunrock Farm give students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned about science and practical life. Holiday parties include a Halloween party, a visit from Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Father’s Night provides dads an opportunity to share with their children. For Mother’s Day, the Montessori students treat their moms to a play in their honor and also provide performances for their grandparents on Grandparents’ Day.

PARENT CONFERENCES
Conferences between parents and the child’s master teacher are held twice during the year — once in the fall and once in the spring. At this conference, parents are presented with a synopsis of their child’s progress as well as insights into upcoming learning experiences. Parents are always welcome to request a meeting with a teacher at any time to discuss concerns or ask questions regarding their child.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT
The Montessori school is a parent-friendly and offers a host of opportunities for parents to be involved. Parent education evenings are offered throughout the year. With activities from field trips to holiday parties, parental involvement in the Montessori school is welcomed and encouraged.

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
The students in the Montessori are introduced to the art of computer technology. In the classroom, the computer is available each day. Many software programs provide information and experiences in the art, music, math, language, geography and science areas. The computer is an educational tool and supports their continuous learning in the area of technology.

ORFF MUSIC
All Summit Montessori children are exposed to a progressive music program that uses Orff percussion instruments. These simple mallet-struck melody-makers were invented by German composer, educational theorist, and a contemporary of Maria Montessori, Carl Orff. He believed that any child could partake of the joys of playing music with little or no traditional training. The simple-to-play Orff instruments were designed to make the music-learning experience fun and exploratory while teaching the language of music. Instruments used in lower school music classes include glockenspiels, metallophones, xylophones, bass bass, wood and sandpaper blocks, drums (congas, bongos, timpani), cabasa, guiro, rhythm sticks, wind chimes, bells and maracas.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
The K-5 Foreign Language Program is an introduction to both Spanish and French Foreign Language and Culture. Beginning in Kindergarten students take Spanish or French for a period of 30 minutes twice a week for three consecutive years- switching to the opposite language in the third grade. After completing the French and Spanish introductory levels, all Summit sixth graders take a year-long Latin and Graeco-Roman civilization class. The Kindergarten program aims to develop listening, comprehension, and speaking skills while emphasizing cross-cultural appreciation and contrasts. The children are immersed in a foreign language experience where no English is spoken. The curriculum is taught by native speaking faculty through the use of experiential hands-on materials.

The TPRS (Total Physical Response Storytelling) methodology is used in the Lower School foreign language program. The goal of TPRS is to provide students with an enormous amount of comprehensive speech while allowing students to absorb rules and vocabulary well before they are expected to express themselves in the target language