Programs

Currently enrolling Preschool, Kindergarten, and Elementary students! We also offer enrichment classes, extracurriculars, and a summer program for students. Learn about our admissions process and tuition structure.

Program Overview

Early Childhood

Elementary

Early Childhood - Preschool through Kindergarten

Our Preschool Program at Country Montessori School in Poway is tailored for children ages 2.5 to 6, combining practical skills with a rich, exploratory curriculum that instills a love of learning and independence.

Practical Life

In the Practical Life area, children build fine and gross motor skills essential for self-sufficiency. Activities include spooning, pouring, and food preparation, progressing to tasks like buttoning, zipping, and table-setting. This hands-on practice fosters responsibility, patience, and concentration while preparing them for complex activities.

Sensorial Activities

Our Sensorial curriculum enhances sensory perception through exercises that teach children to distinguish size, color, texture, and sound. They sort, match, and grade items by these qualities, helping them develop categorization and critical thinking skills. These activities also build vocabulary and lay a foundation for advanced studies in art, language, and math.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, we use concrete, tactile materials to introduce foundational numeracy. Through activities involving counting, sorting, and numeral recognition, children grasp concepts of quantity and place value, preparing them for addition and subtraction. The Montessori approach allows students to build logical thinking and problem-solving skills, promoting a solid understanding of numbers.

Language Arts

Language Arts activities develop early literacy through a phonetic approach, starting with letter recognition, phonemic awareness, and vocabulary building. Children progress to writing their names and reading simple phonetic words. Through storytelling, sequencing, and oral presentations, they gain confidence in communication, essential for future language development.

Cultural Studies, Science, and Zoology

In Cultural Studies, we introduce children to the world’s diverse geography, cultures, and ecosystems. They learn to differentiate land, air, and water, and identify continents, fostering an appreciation for global diversity. In Science, lessons focus on botany and zoology, where children explore plant and animal life, learning about parts of a plant and distinguishing between vertebrates and invertebrates. Our Zoology curriculum goes further into animal study, where students engage with the unique characteristics of mammals, birds, reptiles, and more, fostering curiosity about the natural world and promoting environmental stewardship.

Kindergarten Program

Our Kindergarten Program at Country Montessori School in Poway builds on the foundational skills from preschool, preparing children academically, socially, and emotionally for elementary school. Through continued practice in Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, and Language Arts, students develop critical thinking, independence, and academic skills essential for elementary success.

Kindergarten students engage in a comprehensive curriculum that includes PE, Music, Spanish, Art, and Computers as enrichment courses, promoting well-rounded development. They also work with our elementary literacy specialist, enhancing reading and comprehension skills and supporting a smooth transition to higher-level learning. This balanced approach nurtures lifelong learners ready for the academic and social demands of elementary school.

Located in Poway and serving San Diego County, our Montessori preschool provides an immersive education that nurtures independence, curiosity, and a solid academic foundation.

Lower Elementary

Our elementary program extends our Early Childhood (Preschool and Kindergarten) program. The material continues to build for our six to nine-year-old students.

For students transitioning age groups at CMS, teachers meet and discuss each child’s social, emotional, and academic needs.

The curriculum for Lower Elementary students includes reading and introducing critical thinking, mathematics, geometry, history, geography, the study of maps, botany, zoology, language arts, and language arts.

At this age, we also focus on Peace Education: We devote a section of the classroom to sustaining a calm environment. Children can sit quietly, read a book about peace, relax, or meet with friends to resolve problems using the learned conversational tools.

Enrichment Classes
Alongside the standard Montessori curriculum, we offer enrichment classes for each age group. We’ve identified the following classes as advantageous to help develop the whole child, especially in modern technology times.

Lower Elementary Enrichment classes:

- - Spanish: Our Spanish instructor approaches her lessons from a cultural, innovative, and accurate aspect, aligning the curriculum with Montesorri lessons and structure.
  - Music: Every student experiences weekly music instruction given by a specialized teacher. Our music teacher provides children a warm, nurturing, safe, and loving environment. Montessori students are presented with music instruction that includes singing, movement, theory, instrument exposure, and music history. One of our favorite times of year is the Spring Fling, a music performance prepared by our students.
  - Art: Students experience art lessons introducing various media and techniques.
  - Computer Skills: Students work with various computer skills and programs through one weekly class.
  - Physical Education: Country Montessori School’s Physical Education Instructor guides children through a program promoting the development of their physical attributes and social skills.

“The primary classroom focuses on building a secure environment where my son safely indulges in his curiosity to learn and observe. The curriculum includes practical life tools, sensorial exercises, language arts, outdoor play, music and Spanish. The primary classroom also emphasizes grace and courtesy every day, which transitions into our home along with my sons drive to be independent in the home environment, too.Ms. Osterberg, specifically, observes my sons interests and provides detailed feedback about his progress during every parent-teacher conference. She provides thoughtful recommendations on activity ideas, too! We have open communication with the school-classroom and share major life events that are occurring in our personal lives, and this allows my sons teachers to support him further through life transitions.The entire CMS staff is kind, supportive and accessible. Our family feels safe in their welcoming environment.CMS creates a positive culture to help all students thrive and we are so grateful for their ongoing efforts in our sons growth!”

-Riddhi, Ladybugs Parent 2022

Upper Elementary

Upper Elementary students continue to build on lessons learned in previous curricula.

Using the ideas of Maria Montessori, Upper Elementary teachers prepare a curriculum and learning environment encouraging each student to become an active participant in their learning process.

This transition is critical for student development as they move from the concrete world of their earlier years to the threshold of abstract thinking found in the older classrooms.

Students are challenged with directing their own time management, organization, and setting reasonable, responsible goals. They begin working more on group projects, using external resources (libraries and museums), and expand into field study.

Curriculum

The curriculum includes language, mathematics, geometry, science, biology, social and cultural studies, social responsibilities and life skills. At this education level, mathematics includes fractions, decimals, ratio proportion and probability, percent, integers, graphing and statistics, data analysis, exponents, and measurements.

Montessori education at this age emphasizes the sense of self through independence, confidence, and self-discipline practice.

Upper Elementary Enrichment classes:

- - Spanish: Our Spanish instructor approaches her lessons from a cultural, innovative, and accurate aspect, aligning the curriculum with Montesorri lessons and structure.
  - Music: Every student experiences weekly music instruction given by a specialized teacher. Our music teacher provides children a warm, nurturing, safe, and loving environment. Montessori students are presented with music instruction that includes singing, movement, theory, instrument exposure, and music history. One of our favorite times of year is the Spring Fling, a music performance prepared by our students.
  - Art: Students experience art lessons introducing various media and techniques.
  - Computer Skills: Students work with various computer skills and programs through one weekly class.
  - Physical Education: Country Montessori School’s Physical Education Instructor guides children through a program promoting the development of their physical attributes and social skills.

“Our son joined the CMS family as a pre-school student in 2019. We believe in the Montessori system and out of all the schools we researched, we felt that CMS was above all the rest. The teachers and administrators have all been top notch, very receptive and cordial. We enjoyed our experience so much that our second child started pre-school at CMS in 2021.”

– Ali – BB & Eagles Family 2022

Summer Program

With summer’s arrival comes the fun camps at Country Montessori School!

Each week brings a different theme, encouraging children to explore an interest or develop a new skill. All camps include arts, crafts, and hands-on learning.

Our experienced educators lead camps, where children can be enrolled individually for a full-day! There is also time to play in Country Montessori School’s large playgrounds.

Logistics:

Our three-acre campus in Poway provides a peaceful and secure environment.
Child care is available both before and after camp.
Early Childhood is for 2.5-year-olds through to Kindergarten age, and Elementary Camp.
Lunch is not provided

Learn More Above

Preschool / Kindergarten

Meet our Ladybugs, Bumblebees, and Dragonflies! These are our early childhood education classroom communities. Children spend three years, from ages three to six, in early childhood education.

Learn More Above

Elementary

Using the ideas of Maria Montessori, Upper Elementary teachers prepare a curriculum and learning environment encouraging each student to become an active participant in their learning process.

Learn More Above

Summer Program

With summer’s arrival comes the fun camps at Country Day Montessori!