Elementary Program

"To consider the school as a place where instruction is given is one point of view. But to consider the school as a preparation for life is another. In the latter case, the school must satisfy all the needs of life."- Maria Montessori, from Childhood to Adolescence

The Montessori elementary program is designed to meet the development needs of each individual child in a way that is both faithful to Dr. Montessori's insights and consistent with the expectations of American parents of the 21st century.

Elementary classrooms are multi-age settings, with classes divided into groups of children 6 to 9 years old (Elementary I) and 9 to 12 years old (Elementary II). Mixed-age grouping encourages the sense of family and community, while providing mentoring opportunities in which the older students help the younger, thereby reinforcing their own skills in the process.

Children of this age demonstrate an intense desire to develop strong connections with their peers. They take increasing responsibility for their own conduct in personal relationships as well as in caring for the environment.

Freedom of movement, open work space, and uninterrupted blocks of time for individual and group projects all help to support the needs of children from 6 to 12 in gaining control over their growing bodies, as well as their drive toward autonomy.

Physical exercise through non-competitive sports and games help develop large-motor coordination while emphasizing the benefit of teamwork. Children this age tend to love physical challenges.

As children mature during these elementary years, the Montessori curriculum focuses on three characteristics of this age period:

The growing ability to abstract from concrete information
The drive to develop and to be accepted by the peer group
Children's fascination with all aspects of their culture and with the grandeur of the world at large

Montessori elementary studies are based on a cultural curriculum, which integrates history, geography, mathematics, science, biology, language, literature, arts and music. The interdisciplinary approach helps children build creative and critical thinking skills.

In keeping with Montessori's process-oriented educational philosophy, assessment of performance is based on a systematic collection of information, including observations by teachers and parents, portfolios containing examples of work, and conferences.