| The Montessori Elementary
Program
During the first plane of development (3-6 years), the prepared
environment of the Casa is essential for the child. Once the child
enters the second plane (6-12 years), the prepared environment of the
classroom is not enough. The child is entering the time where she
is driven to explore society to ascertain her place in it. Because
of this, the elementary program has Going Out. This differs from
traditional field trips in that the outings are conceived and planned by
the children to facilitate their own discoveries and interests.
The outings are done on an individual or small group level with
appropriate chaperoning.
 The Montessori Elementary Teacher
The Montessori Elementary teacher has been trained to have knowledge
that is rich in exciting details and broad enough to be able to link
these details into a "big picture". Like the teachers in
the Casa, an elementary teacher will be with the children for three to
six years, creating a deep bond with the children and recognition of each
child's unique personality. This allows the teacher to guide the
child in areas of interest.
"The elementary child has reached a new
level of development. Before he was interested in things: working with
his hands, learning their names. Now he is interested mainly in the how
and why... the problem of cause and effect." M. Montessori
The Prepared Environment
The Montessori Elementary Prepared Environment was developed to
facilitate the second plane child's growing imagination and powers of
abstraction with concrete materials. There is a sequence of
presentations with the materials going from the concrete to the
abstract. It is also dual in nature - the class and outside world.
There are seven key subject areas in the prepared environment:
- Math: Presented through three-dimensional manipulative
materials that allow the child to experience abstract concepts by
concrete means.
- Language: Symbols and visual patterns are used for the child
to discover parts of speech and analysis of sentence structure and
style.
- Geometry: Building on experiences from the Casa, the child
explores geometry. There is an introduction to geometric
concepts, like the Pythagorean theorem, through manipulative materials
that allow the child to engage his/her reasoning mind.
- Biology: This is the study of both Botany and Zoology.
The human body is addressed in the Great Lesson of the Great River
(the circulating system).
- Geography: The child explores both political (countries and
capitals) and physical (composition of the earth) geography.
Experiments are essential for this study.
- History: History in the elementary classroom is an
exploration through space and time of the Planet Earth and all its
inhabitants.
- Music: Music is an integral component of the prepared
environment and is woven into the classroom through the other
subject areas as well as on its own.
Arts and Culture
One of the focuses of the elementary child is the achievements of
humanity. A profound respect and appreciation for what was created
by man emerges through the child's research and the presentations she
receives. Arts and culture are not separate entities in the
elementary class but are interwoven essentials in each of the subject
levels. Children are encouraged to explore art, drama, and
creative writing (to name a few) during their explorations of the
prepared environment and its contents.
"Our aim is not only to make the child
understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his
imagination as to enthuse him to his innermost core." M.
Montessori Montessori Elementary
8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Children aged 6 through 12 years
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