L’ÉLÉMENTAIRE
Les Lilas’s Cycle 2 program, L'Élémentaire, is a mixed-age classroom, welcoming children ages 6 to 9—cours préparatoire (CP or 1st grade), cours élémentaire 1 (CE1 or 2nd grade), and cours élémentaire 2 (CE2 or 3rd grade). There’s one lead teacher certified in both French and Montessori education, and one assistant teacher.
As in Cycle 1, children in Cycle 2 continue to receive French immersion education through the Montessori approach. However, to facilitate the transition into a more “traditional” educational system, other complementary educational tools and methods are used, including worksheets, lessons in small groups, and regular validation of skills acquired in the core subjects. Montessori materials are still incorporated, and the atmosphere continues to be one that fosters independence and respects the rhythm of each child.
In Cycle 2, we emphasize cultural and artistic awakening and discovery of the world through subjects like history, geography, and science. We also focus on civic education, including lessons in tolerance and cooperation, nonviolent conflict management, and awareness of responsible citizenship. Following is a brief overview of what our students study in this 3-year cycle.
WHAT WILL YOUR CHILD LEARN?
READING, WRITING & LANGUAGE SKILLS
In L’Élémentaire, students build on the reading and writing skills they acquired in La Maternelle. Phonic skills are improved and reinforced by reading various texts for longer periods of time. Students are also exposed to a wide variety of children's literature to promote a love of books and reading for pleasure. To keep honing writing skills, students start constructing more complex sentences and learn to identify subjects and verbs. Students also start practicing sentence organization so they can gradually learn to write paragraphs with careful focus on spelling and vocabulary, along with verb conjugation. They practice their oral skills in the context of reciting rhymes, texts in prose, and poems from memory, with the appropriate rhythm and intonation. In addition, students verbally exchange ideas in small groups, and they learn how to address others properly in both formal and informal settings.
MODERN LANGUAGE & BILINGUAL INSTRUCTION
L’Élémentaire also incorporates the English curriculum through a variety of children’s literature including fiction, nonfiction, and chapter books. Students use Writer’s Workshop time for creative writing and learn the processes of rough drafts, editing, and final drafts. They learn phonics, rules of grammar, punctuation, and comprehension strategies, as well as songs that reinforce social skills. For homework, students have weekly spelling words, dictation sentences, and a creative writing assignment.
A portion of the math program is taught in English, and a portion of the “questioning our world” discipline is co-taught by the French and English teachers, who also lead a special bilingual project one afternoon each week.
QUESTIONING OUR WORLD
Science & culture
In Cycle 2, students re-familiarize themselves with the progression and cyclical aspects of time using the calendar and clock, and they learn that time is different depending on geography. Students identify characteristics of living things and build upon their learning of the life cycle: birth, growth, reproduction, and death. They also study the nutrition and dietary habits of animals and how animals relate within a given habitat and with a changing environment. Students distinguish between solids and liquids and observe the changing states of matter through experiments. They also create basic models and simple electric circuits to understand how an electrical device works, and they study temperature and the effects of temperature on a changing environment.
History & geography
In history, students learn about significant events and influential contributors leading to the founding of the French Republic. They broaden their basic knowledge of familiar surroundings, like the classroom, the school, the neighborhood, the village, and the town. They compare these familiar settings with other settings and more distant places, and they study how their world is portrayed through common forms like photographs, maps, and a globe.
Students exchange videos of their classroom work with fellow students in France, and they use a map to learn about where those students live.
MATHEMATICS
This cycle focuses on proficiency in arithmetics. Students learn techniques for addition, subtraction, and multiplication, and they learn how to solve problems using these operations. Students also build on the basic geometry skills introduced in La Maternelle. They learn how to plot complex shapes on a grid, recognize and describe planes and solids, and use instruments and techniques to reproduce figures. The associated vocabulary becomes familiar with repetition. Students also learn about and compare common units of length, weight, capacity, time, and money. They gradually learn how to organize data for presentation, and they are introduced to charts, tables, and graphs. Later in Cycle 2, students work on simple word problems to apply the math concepts they have learned.
ARTISTIC EDUCATION
Music
In music class, students listen to music, sing songs, and move to music. They imitate rhythmic patterns using instruments and learn to keep a steady beat. They also learn to recognize upward/downward movement of pitch and differences in tempo. Dedicated music instruction takes place once a week in French.
Art
In art, students explore different techniques like collage, pastels, gouache/acrylics, and clay. They also work on artistic gestures and the development of the sleight of hand through the study of famous artists as examples and sources of inspiration. The basics of geometry are applied through 3D projects where the students understand the importance of distance, proportion, and symmetry. Field trips to museums reinforce classroom instruction.
MORAL & CIVIC EDUCATION
Respecting others
Children will learn how to accept and respect people’s differences, to fulfill commitments to oneself and to others, to show responsibility towards oneself and others, and to adapt their manners, language, and attitude to the school environment. They will also learn how to listen to others.
Learning about & sharing of democratic values
Children will work on respecting and following the school community’s rules and learn the values, principles, and symbols representing France, such as the flag, the national anthem, monuments, and national holidays. They will also be taught about the framework of a democratic society.
Constructing a civic culture in the classroom
At the end of Cycle 2, students will know how to participate and act in group settings, know the difference between their personal interests and the greater good, and know how to listen to others and state their opinions backed by sound arguments.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Students participate in individual and group activities that promote locomotor skills, team-building, and social interaction, and they are taught to adapt sequences and patterns to their movement, depending on the activity.