Lower Elementary Classroom

Ages 6 to 9 Years Old 

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Following the Primary program, children ages 6–9 years (1st–3rd grade) transition to the Lower Elementary program. The Montessori elementary program centers on the child’s growing awareness of the universe and the interconnectedness of everything within it, which Dr. Montessori called Cosmic Education. Small groups of children receive hands-on lessons with Montessori materials, making abstract concepts concrete. Follow-up work after lessons allows for mastery of concepts and fosters exploration as children learn to work together and pursue their interests.

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During the elementary years, children experience major developmental changes that are nurtured in the classroom environment: the emergence of a logical, reasoning mind and the drive to work cooperatively with their peers. The elementary child moves beyond wanting to know simple definitions and now wants to understand the hows and whys of the universe, using their powerful imagination as a tool to explore and create.

 

Areas of study in the Lower Elementary program include:

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• Language – writing, spoken language, grammar, reading, research skills

• Mathematics and Geometry – concepts of numbers, operations, fractions & decimals, multiples & factors, powers of numbers, plane figures

• Biology – zoology, botany, ecology

• Geography – physical, political, & economic geography, physical & earth science, geography resources

• History – early humans, measurement of time, Great Civilizations

• Creative and Performing Arts – art, music, drama

• Physical Education and Health – games, sports, wellness, social emotional learning ​