Lower Elementary
Our goals for the Lower Elementary Classroom are to have all students develop strong, intrinsically motivated, academic skills; to learn to get along peacefully with each other, and to become self-reliant in order to become contributing citizens of the planet Earth. Our Montessori, E1 or Lower Elementary Classroom is a multi-age classroom for students ages 6-9.
Individualized Education
All students in our classroom have an individualized learning program. Each student is assessed at the beginning of the school year and placed appropriately into our Montessori Curriculum Map. Throughout the school year, as each student masters new concepts and skills, the teachers present new lessons and the student takes on new work. In addition to working on the traditional school activities, students choose from a wide variety of learning materials and activities to foster their growth and understanding.
Models for Learning
When a new concept is introduced to the student, concrete models are used to help the student understand the concept being taught. In math there are concrete models for everything from learning the concept of basic addition/subtraction (Bead Bars, Strip Board, Golden Beads) through Fractions (Insets) and Multiplication/Long Division (Stamp Game, Racks and Tubes, Checker Board). Beginner readers use Moveable Alphabets to spell words and match labels to pictures. When learning Grammar, students diagram sentences with Montessori Grammar Symbols and then stencil and write in their Language books.
In Montessori the “hand teaches the mind” and as the student works with the materials he or she masters the concept and moves on to doing the work without the use of the models.
Personal responsibility
A key element of Montessori education is developing a sense of responsibility for one’s own growth and actions, and responsibility to one’s community and environment. Through classroom meetings, special projects, and the daily work structure, students learn to take responsibility for their learning, their behavior, and their care of the environment and each other.
