Our Programs

Aspen Montessori School will open to Kindergarten - 3rd grade initially for the 2026-2027 school year. We will add on one additional grade level each year and continue to build until we incorporate 6th grade. 

 

A Note About Kindergarten:

Maria Montessori viewed kindergarten (up to age 6) as part of a child's preschool education. We encourage all families who have kindergarten-aged children to remain in a preschool Children's House to round out the three-year cycle. If you are looking for a wonderful preschool and kindergarten for your child, we would love to point you to our Wildflower partner Water Lily located in St. Paul. Families who enroll at Water Lily will receive preferred enrollment status for first grade at Aspen.

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We also know that kindergarten is the point of entry into elementary school for many families. We will also offer limited spots in a kindergarten cohort at our school. This will not be an authentic Children's House education, but will act as a bridge between a traditional kindergarten and the Montessori Elementary 1 program. Please reach out on our Contact Us page with any questions.  

 

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Individualized Literacy Support

At Aspen Montessori, we believe that high-quality, science-based literacy education is a human right. Both of our Teacher Leaders are Orton-Gillingham trained and one is a certified Academic Language Therapist for both the basic and advanced levels. This allows us to offer OG as part of each student's customized language instruction. OG instruction will be given to small groups or individuals to the degree that it is needed for growth. This instruction is paired with a traditional Montessori education detailed below. 

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Elementary I Curriculum (ages 6-9)

The Montessori Elementary I curriculum begins with a "big picture" view of the universe and the interconnectedness of all things. This is called Cosmic Education. It is presented through The Five Great Lessons, which are inspirational, imaginative stories presented annually to spark the child's curiosity and provide the foundation for all academic subjects. All subjects are introduced using concrete, hands-on Montessori materials that lead the child toward abstraction.

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• The Story of the Universe (Introduction to physics, chemistry, astronomy, and geology)

• The Story of the Coming of Life (Introduction to biology, botany, and zoology)

• The Story of the Coming of Human Beings (Introduction to history, anthropology, and the fundamental needs of humans)

• The Story of Writing (Introduction to language, literature, and communication)

• The Story of Numbers (Introduction to mathematics, measurement, and geometry)

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Mathematics: Building on the foundation of the decimal system, students work with the four basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) with large numbers. Concepts also expand into geometry (study of lines, angles, plane, and solid figures) and an introduction to fractions and beginning algebra concepts.

Language Arts: Students focus on reading fluency and comprehension, advanced grammar (through materials like the grammar boxes and sentence analysis), word study (prefixes, suffixes, etymology), and composition (writing complete sentences, organized paragraphs, creative, and expository writing). Reading and research skills are major components.

Cultural Studies: This is the integrated study of the world through:

• Physical Geography: landforms, biomes, climate

• Political/Cultural Geography: maps, flags, global socio-cultural studies

• History: timelines, fundamental needs of humans, and the study of ancient civilizations

• Science: classification of plants and animals, experiments, and the study of the human body

 

Key Developmental and Social Aspects

• Collaboration and Socialization: The 6-9 year old is highly social. Lessons and follow-up work are often done in pairs or small mixed-age groups fostering cooperation, delegation, and problem-solving skills.

• Independence and Research: The child is encouraged to move from teacher-led lessons to independent research projects. The teacher acts as a guide, providing "just enough" information to spark an interest, which the student then pursues, often resulting in reports, public speaking, and community outings.

• Practical Life & Peace Education: Skills like grace and courtesy, conflict resolution, and taking ownership of the classroom environment continue to be important in helping students develop a sense of responsibility and self-worth.

• The Arts: Music, Art, and Physical Education are fully integrated, often serving as a means to creatively express concepts learned in cultural studies.

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Elementary II Curriculum (Ages 9-12)

The Elementary II (E-II) curriculum builds upon the Five Great Lessons introduced in Lower Elementary. In E-II, these lessons are revisited and explored in much greater depth, complexity, and abstraction. In E-II, the curriculum transitions the child from the concrete materials of Lower Elementary to abstract understanding across all disciplines.

 

Mathematics: This includes advanced arithmetic, decimals, fractions, and percentages. Students are Introduced to complex concepts like squaring, cubing, prime factors, square roots, and the beginnings of algebra. There is extensive work in geometry, including the calculation of perimeter, area, and volume, and the Theorem of Pythagoras.

Language Arts: Students focus on fluency, comprehension, and expression. EL-II also includes advanced grammar (sentence analysis, parts of speech), comprehensive literature studies, creative writing, expository writing, and the multi-step composition process (drafting, revision, editing). Students explore the history of language.

Cultural Studies: This area is a deep dive into the sciences, geography, and history, all following the Great Lessons:

• Geography: Study of physical, economic, and political geography; mapping; and the relationship between climate, topography, and culture

• History: Detailed study of prehistory, ancient civilizations, and early human migrations. Analysis of the Fundamental Needs of Humans across different times and cultures.

• Science (Biology, Physics, Chemistry): This includes an in-depth study of the classification of animals and plants (taxonomy), internal anatomy, ecology, and environmental studies, as well as advanced concepts in Earth and Physical Science, such as gravity, magnetism, light, chemistry, and the scientific method through experiments.

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Developmental & Social Skills

A key focus of E-II is developing the child as a responsible and collaborative member of society.

• Group Work & Collaboration: The strong drive for social interaction is harnessed through cooperative work, team-based research projects, and community service.

• Moral and Social Consciousness: Children are deeply concerned with issues of justice, fairness, and morality. The curriculum provides opportunities for exploring social structures, conflict resolution, and the concept of human interdependence.

• Executive Functioning: Students are guided to develop essential skills like time management, organization, responsibility, and goal-setting, which are crucial for success in abstract work and "going out" (organizing field trips or research excursions into the community).

• Research & Independent Study: Learning is primarily driven by the child's interest, often leading to long-term, interdisciplinary research projects that require them to seek knowledge from sources outside the classroom.