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Contents
Qingdao Amerasia International School Introduction 3
Our Mission 3
Our Vision 3
Our Core Values 3
Montessori Early Childhood Curriculum 4
Practical Life 4
Sensorial 6
Math 7
Language 9
Cultural 11
Chinese 14
IB® Primary Years Program Curriculum 14
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Qingdao Amerasia International School Introduction
Our MissionQAIS aims to inspire a lifelong love of learning through a holistic, child-centered, inquiry-based approach.
By embracing each student’s diverse needs, learning styles, and strengths, we strive to develop courageous global citizens who help to create a more peaceful world through community action, intercultural understanding, and respect for all life.
Our VisionTo cultivate an inclusive and vibrant community that promotes knowledge, creativity, independent thinking and mutual respect in a nurturing and safe environment.
Our Core ValuesAcademic Excellence: We embrace academic excellence, guiding our children’s innate curiosity and encouraging joy in learning.
Independence and Imagination: We foster independent thinking and spark imagination, inspiring our children to become the leaders of tomorrow.
Peace and respect: We instill respect for self, respect for one another, and respect for our planet, enhancing prospects for peace.
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Montessori Early Childhood CurriculumOne of the first goals of the QAIS Montessori Children’s House is to help the child gain control in the coordination of his movement, and help the child to gain independence and adapt to his society. It is therefore important to “Teach teaching, not correcting” (Montessori) in order to allow the child to be a fully functional member in his own society.
The following is a brief overview of QAIS’s core curriculum in the areas of language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, sensory training, and practical life for our students ages 3 through 6 years old. Please keep in mind that this only represents an overview of the course of study, and is not meant to be complete. Since our students progress at their own pace, it is not possible to divide up the curriculum by grade levels.
Practical LifePractical life focuses on developing skills that allow the child to effectively control and deal with the social and physical environment in which he lives. Practical Life Exercises also aid the growth and development of the child’s intellect and concentration and will, in turn, also help the child develop an orderly way of thinking. There is a growing pride in being able to "do it for myself." Practical life begins as soon as the young child enters the school and continues throughout the curriculum to more advanced and complex tasks as the child gains mastery. In addition, the practical life exercises develop logic since there is a beginning, middle, and end to each exercise.
PRACTICAL LIFE ACTIVITIESPRACTICAL LIFE ACTIVITIESPRACTICAL LIFE ACTIVITIESPRACTICAL LIFE ACTIVITIES
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Presentation Cycle
Mats
Carrying
Walking
Tidying
Classroom Environment
Grasping
Twisting
Sorting
Spooning
Pouring
Tweezing
Table setting
Table washing
Cloth washing
Cloth folding
Food prep
Cutting
Rolling
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Spooning
Scooping
Sifting
Squeezing
Locking
Screwing
Cleaning
Scrubbing
Mopping
Vacuuming
Personal Care
Grooming
Hand washing
Polishing
Dressing frames
Grace and courtesy
Indoor voice
Sharing
Listening
Taking turn
Manners
Movement
Walking the line
Exercises/calisthenics
Dance
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SensorialSensorial materials are the tools for discovering the universe. The sensorial work allows the child to acquire clear, conscious, information and to be able to then make classifications in his environment. Montessori believed that sensorial experiences begin at birth. Through his senses, the child studies his environment. The sensorial materials are the keys to classifying the things around him, which leads to the child making his own experiences in his environment. Through the classification, the child is also offered the first steps in organizing his intelligence, which then leads to his adapting to his environment. These are sensorial exercises in perception, observation and fine discrimination, that play a major role in helping our children to develop their sense of logic and concentration. They begin at age 3 and are a major area of concentration typically through age 5.
SENSORIALSENSORIALSENSORIALSENSORIAL
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Knobbed cylinders
Pink tower
Brown stair
Red rods
Color tablets
Knobless cylinders
Geometry cabinet
Geometry cards
Botany cabinet
Botany cards
Constructive triangles
Geometric figures cards
Geometric solids
Sound cylinders
Bells
Thermic bottles
Thermic tablets
Smelling jars
Baric tablets
Binomial cube
Trinomial cube
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MathThe mathematical material gives the child his own mathematical experience, which helps him to arrive at a deep understanding of mathematical concepts through individual work. Some of the math materials are teacher-directed activities but these are followed with activities for the individual. Most works begins with small group lessons which are followed by independent, individual work.
The Exercises in arithmetic are grouped. There is some sequential work and some parallel work. The first group is Numbers through Ten. When the child has a full understanding of numbers through ten, the second group, The Decimal System, can be introduced.
The focus here is on the hierarchy of the decimal system and how the system functions. It also starts the child on the exercises of simple computations, which are the operations of arithmetic.
The third group will be started when the decimal system is well underway.
From then on, these exercises will be given parallel to the continuing of the decimal system. This third group, Counting beyond Ten, includes the teens, the tens, and linear and skip counting. The fourth group is the memorization of the arithmetic tables. This work can begin while the later work of the decimal system and the counting beyond ten exercises are continued. The fifth group is the passage to abstraction. The exercises in this group require the child to understand the process of each form of arithmetic and to know the tables of each operation.
The child who knows the process and tables for addition can begin to do the addition in abstraction. He may still be working on learning the tables for the other operations and these will not be taken up until he has the readiness. The exercises in the group for passing to abstraction, allow the child to drop the use of the material, as he is ready. He can then begin to work more and more with the symbols on paper, without using the material to find the answers. The sixth group of materials, fractions, can be taught in latter portion of the program while the child is in abstraction or can be presented as a sensorial work earlier in the program. The writing of fractions and the operations of fractions can follow, as the child is moving into the passage to abstraction.
FUNDAMENTALS OF THE DECIMAL SYSTEM FUNDAMENTALS OF THE DECIMAL SYSTEM FUNDAMENTALS OF THE DECIMAL SYSTEM FUNDAMENTALS OF THE DECIMAL SYSTEM
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Number Rods
Sandpaper Numerals
Number Rods and Numerals
Spindle Box
Bead Bars
Teens Board
Tens Board
100 chain
Hundreds Board
Linear counting with bead chains
NUMERICAL PLACE VALUENUMERICAL PLACE VALUENUMERICAL PLACE VALUENUMERICAL PLACE VALUE
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Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Golden Beads
Number Cards
Golden Beads and Number Cards
Exchanging Game
OPERATIONS WITH WHOLE NUMBERSOPERATIONS WITH WHOLE NUMBERSOPERATIONS WITH WHOLE NUMBERSOPERATIONS WITH WHOLE NUMBERS
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Golden Beads -Addition
Golden Beads-Subtraction
Golden Beads-Multiplication
Golden Beads-Division
Stamp Game- Addition
Stamp Game-Subtraction
Stamp Game- Multiplication
Stamp Game- Division
Addition Snake Game
Bead Bars
Addition Strip Board
Addition Charts
Subtraction Strip Board
Subtraction Charts
Multiplication Board
Multiplication Charts
Division Board
Division Charts
GEOMETRYGEOMETRYGEOMETRYGEOMETRY
Basic Geometric Shapes
Regular Polygons -Decagon
Quadrilaterals
Circle, Ellipse, and Oval
Cube, Sphere, Cylinder, Pyramid and Cone
Prisms, Ovoid, and Ellipsoid
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Language To help the child in his development in language, the Montessori classroom is designed to help the child reach the 3rd period of consciousness. The child concentrates on the learning of each important step in language so that each progressive step is done easily and without any thought on the part of the child. The special material also plays an important role in aiding the child to develop the powers of communication and expression, of organization and classification, and the deepening of thought.
The total environment of the Primary classes (3 to 6 years-old) tends to create and reinforce in our young children a spontaneous interest in learning how to read. We begin to teach reading as soon as that interest is first expressed. Using a total immersion approach, the youngest children develop a highly sophisticated vocabulary and command of the language. The children are taught through many early approaches to listen for and recognize the individual phonetic sounds in words. The children are introduced to literature by reading aloud and discussing a wide range of classic stories and poetry. Our youngest students recognize the shape and phonetic sounds of the alphabet through the 'sandpaper letters': a tactile alphabet.
PRE-READINGPRE-READINGPRE-READINGPRE-READING
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Sandpaper letters
Sound recognition
Moveable alphabet
Matching
Object -> object
Object -> picture
Picture -> picture
Beginning consonants
Phonetic object boxes
Short vowel sounds
Middle sounds/vowels
Short & long: a, e, i, o, u
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READINGREADINGREADINGREADING
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Blending/ending sounds
cons/vowel
cons/vowel/cons
cons/cons/vowel/cons
cons/vowel/cons/cons
Sequence cards
Opposites
Word recognition
Phonetic object boxes
Moveable alphabet
Matching
Picture -> word
Word -> word
Word family boxes
Puzzle words
Digraphs
Label the environment
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CulturalImmersions in the arts, in dance, and in music are also given to the child along with the sciences of life: physical science, history and geography. All of these additional exercises are introduced, informed, and crystallized with language. In addition, the Cultural Work is given so the child has the experience to function in and respect his own culture, to develop respect and appreciation of diverse cultures, and to understand personal chronological placement in history.
Zoology: Children cultivate an interest in animals while learning about their needs, characteristics and habitats. They are introduced to the concept of animal classification within five basic groups: bird, fish, mammal, reptile and amphibian. In this area children learn the anatomy of animals by learning the parts as well as the function of the parts.
Natural Science-Botany: This area helps children build an interest in botany and an appreciation and respect for plant life. Children
explore and learn the names of the parts of a tree, flower, and leaf.
Physical Science: Children in this area inquire, observe, and reason. They also develop preliminary understanding of classification, measurement, prediction, and communication of observations. They learn to observe and use simple experiments to demonstrate primary laws of the Universe.
Art and Music: Children learn and practice techniques, help expand ideas, and explore freedom of expression. To execute the series of steps involved in creating a work of art. This allows them to increase their understanding and enjoyment of music within our culture, and enhance music.
ZOOLOGYZOOLOGYZOOLOGYZOOLOGY
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Living
Non-living
Vertebrates
Invertebrates
External parts of vertebrates
Fish
Amphibian
Reptile
Bird
Mammal
BOTANYBOTANYBOTANYBOTANY
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Trees
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Types of
Shapes of
Parts of
Research of
Shrubs
Types of
Shapes of
Parts of
Research of
Flowers
Types of
Shapes of
Parts of
Research of
Plants
Types of
Shapes of
Parts of
Research of
Leaves
Types of
Shapes of
Parts of
Research of
Seeds
Types of
Shapes of
Parts of
Research of
Field Research
Gardening
Planting
Growing
Harvesting
MUSICMUSICMUSICMUSIC
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Matching bells
Nomenclature cards
Instruments
ARTARTARTART
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
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Nomenclature cards
Oil Pastels
Watercolor Paint
Acrylic Paint
Colored Pencils
Sketching Pencils
Chalk
Clay
Wood
Leather
PHYSICAL SCIENCEPHYSICAL SCIENCEPHYSICAL SCIENCEPHYSICAL SCIENCE
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Equipment & safe use
States of matter
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Water
Light
Air
Sound
Magnetism
Friction
Heat
Weight
Electricity
Weather
Rocks
HISTORYHISTORYHISTORYHISTORY
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Study of time
Clock
Calendar
Time lines
Cultures
GEOGRAPHYGEOGRAPHYGEOGRAPHYGEOGRAPHY
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Sandpaper globes
Painted globes
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Land forms
Lake -> Island
Gulf -> Peninsula
Strait -> Isthmus
Bay -> Cape
Lake system -> Archipelago
Maps (puzzles & labels)
Planisphere
North America
South America
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
ChineseToddler and Primary children are exposed to the sounds and rhythms of the Chinese language through games, songs, and activities. Lessons initially include counting, colors, and basic vocabulary.
IB® Primary Years Program CurriculumThe IB Primary Years Program (PYP), for students ages 3 to 12, focuses on the development of the whole child, nurturing their emotional, social, language, cognitive, and physical needs. The PYP curriculum therefore balances the acquisition of knowledge, concepts and skills, with the reinforcement of positive attitudes and student-initiated action. The PYP is the result of years of research that carefully examined a variety of national systems and independent schools. The aim of PYP is to develop internationally minded learners who are inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring, that help to create a better more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
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QINGDAO AMERASIAINTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Inspiring a lifelong love of learning.www.QingdaoAmerasia.org