Elementary Program

Why continue with Montessori? Isn’t my child prepared academically, mentally and socially for elementary school coming from a Montessori pre-school environment? Won’t he or she do exceptionally well in public or another private program? What does the Montessori Elementary program have to offer?

There are two main features of the Montessori Elementary program that are essential to the development of the six to eight-year-old child. The young elementary child has moved from learning to live in his or her present concrete environment by absorbing information to abstract consciousness, especially in moral and social development. The child is interested in order, rules, and the how and why of living. The child becomes, not just a receptacle of facts but an individual personality determined to understand the why of things and use his or her own judgment. Why is the world the way it is? And as a corollary, how can I be an influence and how do I fit into this moral world? The Montessori Elementary curriculum is all encompassing, exposing children to every aspect of the human condition, called the Cosmic Education. It is impossible to impart all current knowledge to a child but it is essential to expose the child to the maximum number of “seeds of interest”, as Maria Montessori states in her book, “To Educate the Human Potential”. The Montessori curriculum ties together all aspects of culture, intertwining them into a powerful whole – history flows into geography into geometry and mathematics, botany and zoology, art and music. The child’s day is not structured into subject periods but engulfs him or her in everything. The child determines his or her own course of action and acquisition of knowledge and skills, working alone or in groups with the guidance of his or her teachers. The child learns to learn, do research. The emphasis is on the moral, on the values that all human beings share on a global basis and ultimately on the value of respect for everyone, community and peace.

The Montessori Elementary curriculum continues the one-on-one individual teaching method as well as culturing independence and curiosity. The children learn concretely and then abstractly the mastery of fundamental skills and basic core knowledge, jumping off points academically for success in the later grades and college. Research skills, spelling, grammar, proper speech, comprehension, scientific hypotheses and mathematical understanding become second nature to the children. Montessori recognizes that individuals learn differently, and provide many opportunities for learning in different ways with dignity and respect. Children become engaged learners often working on a weekly contract devised mutually by the child and his or her teacher that covers what needs to be done within a flexible framework cognizant of the child’s individual interests and talents. The responsibility of learning is placed firmly in the child’s hands.

Assessment is usually through individual research projects, oral questioning or by observing the manipulation of the materials; however standardized testing is used to keep on track with global expectations. The Montessori Elementary curriculum is structured on two three-year programs, which build on each other; therefore it is important for the child to begin his or her Montessori elementary education at six-years of age.