Lower/Upper Elementary
Lower Elementary (Ages: 6 – 9 years)
Upper Elementary (Ages: 9 – 12 years)
What sets Montessori apart in the Elementary years is the individually paced curriculum that challenges children academically and safeguards their well-being and sense of self. Engaging as contributing members of a respectful community, they learn to question, think critically, and take responsibility for their own learning—skills that will support them in later education and in life.
As at all Montessori levels, the Elementary program is based on the belief that children learn best through movement and work with their hands, and provides cognitive, social, and emotional support to help them reach their full potential.
This includes addressing their needs as they enter a new period of development characterized by:
- A transition from concrete to abstract thinking
- Growing interest in socialization
- Thinking and memory that is enhanced by creativity and imagination
- An interest in fairness, social justice, and compassion
What Your Child Will Learn
For returning Montessori students, the Montessori Elementary program expands upon the learning fostered in an Early Childhood program. For students new to Montessori, it orients them to the joys of responsible participation.
Teachers guide children through a rigorous curriculum individually tailored to their own interests, needs, and abilities. Teachers monitor progress against established benchmarks and expectations for student learning, including: academic preparedness, independence, confidence, autonomy, intrinsic motivation, social responsibility, and global citizenship.
The Elementary Classroom
The Elementary students work as a collective group (6-9/9-12) and meet regularly in both small group and individual lessons throughout the day with the 3 Elementary teachers. The teacher and the students create an individual work plan together, based on the students academic progress. The teachers encourage the children to take responsibility for their plan and join lessons as needed during the day. We do require the children to complete the NC Achievement test in 3rd and 5th grade in accordance with NC Education Laws.
The LE/UE Program goes on several school field trips throughout the year as an extension of the classroom curriculum and they are the Leaders for the younger children at our school. You can often find them reading with, gardening with or helping mentor the students in the Toddler and Primary classrooms.
Our school offers a traditional Montessori Elementary curriculum as well as weekly Spanish lessons, music and movement, yoga, gardening and a cooking curriculum. Elementary children participate in food prep in the classroom as part of the Practical Life curriculum. Additionally, the Elementary students visit the local Mexican restaurant to practice their Spanish, master their Grace and Courtesy lessons while dining, affirm their money exchange classroom lessons, and to celebrate the cultural diversity of the area!
Curricular Areas
Practical Life
Within the Elementary program, the Practical Life curriculum continues to grow from their Primary Program lessons. Practical Life at the Elementary level shifts from a focus on self-care and fine motor skills, to skills that help children connect with their interests in the outside world, organize their time, and take part in their community. You can find the children yearly in the morning baking their birthday celebration muffins to share with the classmates, making weekly snack lists for the community, shopping for the items on their weekly shopping trip, and managing the budget.
The Elementary students continue with the sewing curriculum they have learned in the Primary program. The students created constellation sewing squares, pillows, hats, and scarves. The dehumidifier is often in use drying flowers and herbs for potpourri sachets to give as gifts to friends and family.
While self-care and appropriate social interactions continue to be supported, lessons that teach responsibility are the focus. Use of tools, such as work plans, to support organization and time management skills, are incorporated into the daily routine. The students have school-wide community jobs and help in the office, with toddler laundry days, reading with preschoolers and joining tour groups to give a “student” perspective.
Practical Life lessons on organization and communication takes many forms. Teachers and students often work together to post reminders about assignments, projects, and ideas. The Upper Elementary students create the weekly newsletter to parents and a Monthly Elementary Newspaper.
Math
The ideas of number concepts, place value, numerals, and related quantities are reinforced and expanded upon within the Elementary program. Newfound purposes for familiar math materials provide children with the means to consider number concepts, mathematical operations, and more complex functions, helping to expand advanced mathematical knowledge and understanding.
Language
Reading and writing are integral to all subjects in Montessori Elementary, as children express their interests and satisfy their curiosity. Students master conventions with thorough studies of grammar, spelling, and mechanics. They produce final copies with careful penmanship and keyboarding. They read, analyze, think critically, and compare and contrast literature to support personal opinion and perspective. Using these reading and writing skills, they present ideas through formal and informal presentations.
Cultural Studies
Cultural studies are interdisciplinary and integrate zoology, botany, anthropology, geography, geology, physical and life sciences, and anthropology. Through these lessons, children explore the interconnectedness of all living things. Additionally, in-depth studies of history, physical and political world geography, civics, economics, peace and justice, the arts, world language, and physical education are introduced.
Science and Social Studies
Interdisciplinary and integrated studies of geology, geography, physical and life sciences, anthropology, and history are built around “Great Lessons,” a series of dramatic stories that explore the origins of the universe, our planet, and the continuous development of human advancement. The laws of physics and chemistry reveal the interdependency of all living things. Beginning with a study of civilization, students explore the contributions of history and what it means to be a responsible citizen and to seek ways to make the world a better, more peaceful place.
Montessori Learning Materials
Montessori students don’t just memorize facts and figures. They also learn the “hows,” “whens,” and “whys,” ensuring that learning takes place on a deep and fundamental level. Specially designed learning materials that use real objects and actions to translate abstract ideas into concrete form support them in this learning.
Teachers introduce materials to students according to their level of development and readiness. Students then work with the materials to make exciting discoveries—such as why, when dividing fractions, we invert and multiply. Inherent in the use of Montessori materials is the understanding of the power of discovering answers on one’s own.