The Lower Elementary program serves 22 – 28 children ages 6 – 9 with two credentialed Montessori Teachers. Program hours are 9am – 3pm, 5 days per week. The enrichment classes are foreign language, art, music, and PE.
Dr. Maria Montessori termed the elementary curriculum a “Cosmic Education.” The structure of the curriculum emphasizes the interconnectedness of each subject, which encourages children to develop a comprehensive, big-picture view of the world. This foundation allows children to learn independently of the teacher as they follow questions across interdisciplinary topics. From these studies, the students develop a sense of their own place in the universe, which ultimately leads to an attitude of respect for others around them.
The elementary work involves research, discussion and large scale projects. Their curiosity at this age is not just about basic facts, but seeks to understand the “why” and “how.” They wish to grasp how societies function and how their own culture has come to be. Children build their skills of reading, writing and arithmetic by using concrete manipulative materials that eventually transition them to abstraction. We practice these skills daily and integrate them into our other studies as often as possible.
Imagination grabs children of this age and fuels their enthusiasm for study. This is the reason we begin with the Five Great Lessons, a series of five imaginative stories that give students an overall impression of the universe, the earth, and life on earth. Spanning about 15 billion years, the Five Great Lessons introduce students to the universe by stirring their imaginations and initiating their exploration of important questions.