elementary (ages 6 to 12 /grades 1 to 6)
Elementary children have an immense appetite for knowledge; they begin to think abstractly and they have remarkable powers of imagination. The philosophy that underlies the Montessori elementary program, known as Cosmic Education, is designed to help individuals search for their place in the universe, and to recognize their relationship to other living things. Our course of study is an integrated thematic approach that ties the separate disciplines of the curriculum together into studies of the physical universe, the world of nature, and the human experience. Basic skills in math, reading, and language arts are perfected in the meaningful context of this big picture. Instruction in art, music, and physical education are an integral parts of the week.
The Montessori Elementary Program is divided into two levels: Lower Elementary (6-9 year olds) and Upper Elementary (9-12 year olds). Each level is a multi-age community where students collaborate with others of different ages and abilities, learning to accomplish a goal cooperatively. This process encourages the child to contribute ideas, listen to others, and learn to compromise. Students experience abstract concepts through manipulation of concrete materials. Critical thinking skills are enhanced as students “discover” and articulate these concepts for themselves. Ours is an integrated and academically challenging program that meets the child’s changing developmental needs from year to year.
Curriculum Scope for the Elementary Classroom
Language Arts: Reading
Early exercises to practice reading; learning to recognize verbs and nouns; interpretive reading for comprehension at ever increasing levels of difficulty; use of the library and reference books on a daily basis for both research and pleasure.
Language Arts: Handwriting
Control of the hand in preparation for writing is developed through many exercises of practical life, sensorial exercises and handwriting activities including specially designed tasks in the use of the pencil; cursive writing may be introduced early on and sometimes before print, depending on the needs of the child.
Language Arts: Composition
Once handwriting is fairly accomplished, the children begin to develop their composition skills. By age 9, research skills and the preparation of reports become major components of the educational program. Students are typically asked to write on a daily basis, composing short stories, poems, plays, reports, and news articles.
Language Arts: Spelling
Children begin to spell using the moveable alphabet to sound out and spell words as they are first learning to read. Word study is integral to helping children spell: involving compound words, contractions, singular-plural, masculine-feminine words, prefixes, suffixes, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms.
Language Arts: Grammar
We introduce our children to the function of the parts of speech one at a time through many games and exercises that isolate the one element under study. Students continue their study of language from the mid-elementary years onward, reviewing as well as engaging new concepts and skills: tenses, moods, irregular verbs, person and number, the study of style, the study of grammatical arrangements in other languages.
Mathematics:
Study of the four basic mathematical operations: addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication through work with the Montessori Golden Bead Material prepares the child for the “passage to abstraction". The child creates a strong foundation with the concrete materials and then moves to the more abstract. He then begins to solve problems with paper and pencil. Children study money units, history, equivalent sums, foreign currencies (units and exchange) as part of social studies and applied math.
Interest: concrete to abstract; real life problems involving credit cards and loans; principal, rate, time; computing the squares and cubes of numbers: cubes and squares of binomials and trinomials, normally by age 10; the history of mathematics and its application in science, engineering, technology & economics; basic data gathering, graph reading and preparation, and statistical analysis.
Mathematics: Geometry
Study of the basic properties and definitions of the geometric shapes followed by more advanced study of the nomenclature, characteristics, measurement and drawing of the geometric shapes and concepts such as points, line, angle, surface, solid, properties of shapes; congruence, similarity, equality, and equivalence; the calculation of area and volume and the theorem of Pythagoras.
Music:
Elementary students partake in hour-long music classes each week. These classes are taught by a trained musician who encourages the students’ interest in music by working with a variety of musical concepts. Students work with voice, rhythm, movement and instruments. Music is further enhanced by a variety of activities done as part of the regular class curriculum.
Geography: Physical Geography
The Puzzle Maps are specially made maps in the forms of intricate, color-coded, wooden jigsaw puzzles representing the continents. Children study land and water formations such as island, isthmus, peninsula, strait, lake, cape, bay, archipelago, and so on. Introduction to longitude and latitude, coordinate position on the globe, Earth’s poles, the magnetic poles, history and use of the compass, topographic maps, global positioning satellite devices, electronic charts.
Geography: Cultural Geography
Countries are studied in many ways at all levels beginning at about age 3-4. A number of festivals are held every year to focus on specific cultures and to celebrate life together. The detailed study of one nation at a time, moves over the years from one continent to another. All aspects of the nation are considered: geography, climate, flora and fauna, major rivers and lakes, cities, mountains, people, food, religions, etc.
Geography: Economic Geography
Natural resources of the Earth - Production: how humankind uses natural resources. Imports and Exports: the interdependence of nations.
History and The Needs All People:
Each year the child continues to study and analyze the needs, culture, technology, and social history of various periods in history. The trends of human achievement are chartered, such as the development of transportation, architecture, great inventions, and great leaders.
Physical Education:
Children need quality movement opportunities throughout their week and day. Weekly organized physical education lessons help students develop a lifetime of personal fitness and health. Students participate in a wide variety of individual and group athletic activities. The aim is to foster fitness, participation, confidence, teamwork and enjoyment.
Science:
Observation of animals in nature. Botany: identifying, naming, and labeling the parts of plants, trees, leaves, roots, and flowers. Zoology: identifying, naming, and labeling the external parts of human beings, insects, fish, birds, and other animals. Introduction to ecology: habitat, food chain, adaptation to environment and climate, predator-prey relationships. The study of evolution and the development of life on Earth over the eons. Life cycles: water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. Introduction to chemistry: begins at age 6 and continues throughout the elementary science curriculum.
Spanish/A Second Language:
We are looking for a language guide who is the right fit for our Montessori environment. Once we find this link we will go forward with a second language!
Language and communication are at the heart of the human experience. Classes will be taught using a mixture of Spanish/Other Language and English, depending on the level of the students. The focus of this subject is to encourage the students to gain a love for the language and an understanding of the various cultures that use the language. Students will learn extensive vocabulary and basic grammar skills.
Joyful Scholars: Montessori Elementary Education (click here)
This link will open an online FlipBook that will allow you to read a chapter from The Montessori Way, about Montessori for children age 6 to 12.
Video: What Children Really Get Out of a Montessori Education
This is a recording of a talk given by Montessori Foundation President, Tim Seldin, on the outcomes of a Montessori education that we typically see in children by age twelve.
Video: Joyful Scholars - Montessori For The Elementary Years
This is a video from the Montessori Foundation that offers a brief overview of what makes Montessori elementary programs different and special.