The Elementary Program (ages 6-12)

	Curriculum
	After Montessori

A Sense of Purpose

Montessori education arose from detailed observations of children at different stages of their development. Its essence is to create an environment that allows children to exercise to the fullest those strengths and interests most prominent at each particular stage of life. An adult guides and inspires children to use this rich environment, which has been specially prepared to encourage self-directed learning.

The elementary program, then, is based on developmental needs common to 6-12 year old children and is also highly individualized. Our goal is to help the child become an independent, inquiring and confident person. We see each child as a whole person, not a vessel into which we pour measured amounts of knowledge. By working to understand and support the developmental characteristics of the age level and the unique personality of each child, we follow Dr. Maria Montessori’s plea to “Follow the child.”

One consequence of this attitude is a curriculum that is open-ended and essentially creative. Children work with concepts they have learned by developing their own projects, both large and small, rather than by feeding back the information in test and workbook form. Children who work at school with autonomy and dignity usually learn with more significant and long-lasting results than children who work primarily to meet the daily demands of an external system. It is the comment of almost every observer of Montessori elementary programs that the children seem especially busy and productive despite (or perhaps because of) the lack of external rewards and punishments so popular in most schools. Since the teacher knows each child well and keeps detailed records of their work, testing is rare. Test-taking may be taught as a skill, but it is not a means by which children regularly “prove” their learning to others.

Our curriculum for the elementary child, which Dr. Montessori called a “Cosmic Education,” emphasizes the interconnectedness of the many things children observe and learn. It avoids, as much as possible, artificial divisions of knowledge and experience into distinct pigeonholes. Connections excite children, stimulate their imagination, and give them a sense that they already know a great deal and can easily master new topics. The Montessori child feels that it’s all-accessible – this infinite, fascinating world of things and ideas. Above all, they are not dependent on a teacher for all their information; they learn both the habit and methods of finding out more on their own.

The Montessori elementary curriculum helps children appreciate the wonder and beauty of the natural world and also the historic accomplishments of humanity. From this, they can develop a sense of their own place in the Universe, their individual responsibility, and their potential to enhance both the natural and cultural environments in which they live. Their studies of nature and people emphasize the tremendous diversity that abounds in the world, which ultimately leads also to an attitude of tolerance and respect.

In Harmony with the Child’s Needs and Tendencies

The characteristics of children from 6 to 12 years of age are, of course, very different from those of the preschool child, and they invite an approach which is at once very different from and yet consistent with that used in the Montessori preschool.

The elementary teacher introduces an area of study with a presentation of key information or material and then guides the children while they develop individual or small group projects to explore varied facets of the subject. Unlike the preschool children – whose need is to experience, name, and classify the immediate world around them through the use of their senses, elementary children want to explore a much larger universe through the use of imagination and reason. They stretch to imagine the nearly unimaginably big, the extremely ancient. Their curiosity is directed not just at the basic facts, but at the “why” and “how”.

The elementary work frequently involves research, discussion, and large-scale projects. We do a lot more science and social studies at first and second grade ages than most schools, not in order to “accelerate” their education, but rather because it would starve their intellect not to.

Dr. Montessori wrote that at this age, “the closed school can no longer be sufficient” for the children. We thus incorporate the experience of “going out” as a regular occurrence for the children, whether it be a simple walk in the neighborhood to gather types of seeds or an excursion to see products imported and exported. This is an important part of what makes learning “real” and meaningful to the children.

Inner-directed Learning

In the Montessori elementary classroom, the children are given opportunities to learn to set their own goals, budget their own time and appraise their own results. They are “self-starters” who work because of interest and enthusiasm rather than external incentives and sanctions. Secondary school teachers generally describe Montessori graduates as a joy to teach, for these very reasons.

The expectations that society (e.g., the State of Oregon) holds for their academic achievement are, nevertheless, of natural interest to the elementary-age child. They want to begin to participate in society’s rules, and so we let them know what is required of children their age. Experience teaches us patience and respect for individual differences in learning, but there are occasional cases where a child has not acquired a certain necessary skill or knowledge of which he is capable. We then enlist that child’s cooperation in a planned effort to catch up as quickly as possible to the recognized standard. The fact is, however, that most children in Montessori are well ahead of the basic public school requirements after several years. This gives them the opportunity to explore broadly in the many aspects of our curriculum that are not “required” work.

CURRICULUM

It is worth noting that while the division of the world into these separate “subjects” is perhaps a convenient way to write about our work at school, it is not the way children experience it. As noted above, we emphasize the interconnectedness of the many things we study. To take perhaps the simplest kind of example: A child’s arithmetic problems will often deal with real questions arising in his own study of, say, history or geography, rather than some fairly irrelevant problem drawn from a text.

Mathematics and Geometry

Maria Montessori described the “mathematical mind” as a universal human attribute. The materials and methods of the Montessori classroom reinforce the child’s tendency to count, compare, compute and measure. The child begins in preschool a progression from concrete experience to abstraction. The concrete materials are appealing to children, ingeniously designed for revealing principles and concepts, and are made to be experienced and manipulated. Through both physical and mental activity with this material, the child acquires a profound basis for mathematics.

During the elementary years, a sequence of lessons brings the child naturally and gradually to the point of understanding abstract mathematical operations. The structure of the decimal system, the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and other key concepts follow this same pattern. Once they have a firm understanding of the concepts, children move toward memorization, keeping track of their own progress and work both in teams and individually to practice them. By using the Montessori math material, most children experience many concepts traditionally taught much later, including fractions, squared and cubed numbers, multiples and factors, for example.

The Montessori geometry materials offer children an open-ended field of exploration. These materials and the lessons that accompany them permit children to discover important principles and relationships. When, later in their education, they learn the formal rules of geometry, it’s like meeting old friends again. A student may learn nomenclature for the types and parts of polygons, circles, angles and lines. Always, new knowledge is applied to the environment (e.g., finding right triangles in the floor, walls and furniture) and often extends to the creation of a piece of handwork as well. With the principles of geometric equivalence, the child acquires a key which unlocks a whole field of creative work and which prepares him for the study of area.

Language

The child in preschool loves words and is busy absorbing language. Enriched vocabulary, poetry and prose-reading, and word play are all part of the environment. The young child delights in learning to make the symbols that represent his speech and to interpret those made by others. Thus the keys to writing and reading are acquired with the joy of discovery.

The elementary child, exercising his powers of reasoning and curiosity, learns the fascinating history of language from the distant past to the present. We show that language continually changes, that it reflects history and the interlocking subjects of the classroom. The children are conscious of language wherever they go.

Grammar is made accessible to young children with the aid of colorful materials that employ symbols familiar from preschool work. In etymology, word study (synonyms, affixes, compound words, word families, etc.), analysis of sentence structure and of the parts of speech, the children find many activities in which to apply their vocabulary and their creativity with language. At the same time, they become more conscious of its structure. Discoveries in grammar, word study, and etymology quite naturally give rise to topical spelling lists; thus the children’s spelling drill and dictation is assisted by their knowledge of the words’ origins, meanings and functions. (Examples overheard in class: “That’s one of those superlative adjectives, so it must end in `est,’ not `ist’ ”; “That’s one of those words we talked about the Greeks inventing, so the ‘f’ sound is probably spelled ‘ph’.”)

Reading, writing and spelling skills blossom, not only through these activities, but through the work in all subjects. Writing develops in connection with explorations, research and experiments, as children want to share what they have discovered. Creative writing allows all children to acquire very early in life a valuable tool for self-expression. Reading becomes the most important means to satisfy their interests. Witnessing older children reading and writing spontaneously, the younger ones are highly motivated to perfect those language skills that still need work. With carefully structured presentations and appealing follow-up work, the teacher and child work together to accomplish that goal. This basic skill-building in reading and writing is done individually or in very small groups. In general, early language work in Montessori is something exciting, not a chore or an opportunity for failure.

Having acquired both the mechanics of language and a sense of its history and spirit, the child then experiences poetry, prose, drama, dialogue, discussion, debate and research, in oral as well as written forms. The teacher carefully selects a treasury of special books for the classroom. The Junior Great Books Program is introduced, and the children learn to have very focused readings and discussions. Reading aloud to the children is a daily practice.

History

The history of life, both before and after the arrival of humankind, is inextricably linked to other subjects such as geology, geography and biology. Thus it might be said that history is the framework for all fields of study in Montessori. Even in mathematics and language, we tell children stories of the great discoveries and inventions by which our predecessors built the powerful tools of language and number. Children love stories of the past, and in Montessori elementary we use stories to spark the children’s interest in all areas.

Natural history materials, such as an elaborate timeline of life, show children the dramatic and colorful spectacle of life forms and their development. Human history is presented from a perspective of the basic human needs (food, shelter, protection, transport, spiritual expression, etc.) and the variety of ways in which different peoples have been able to meet them. This framework guides their research and reveals both the unique attributes of different cultures and the universality of all. The study of history reveals many fascinating connections and interdependencies, not only among various peoples, but between people and the changing physical environment.

Geography

We begin with theories on the origin of the Universe, in which principles of physical science are revealed, and then proceed to examine the forces that have acted over the ages to shape the world we inhabit. Children explore volcanism, the work of water, wind and air, and the basic physical properties of matter. We employ demonstrations, field activities and experiments the children learn to perform on their own.

The relationships of earth, sun, seasons, zones of climate, etc., are also studied along with economic and political geography. Each topic offers a number of possible side trips that a student may follow. A basic principle here and throughout the Montessori elementary program is that we give first the “big picture” – answers to the fundamental why’s and how’s – and only then work toward the more particular, the more local.

Biology

Children are fascinated by plants and animals. It is not unusual for one of our preschool children already to have learned the names of many flowers, trees, birds and mammals that surround them in the world, as well as the parts of flowers and the very beginnings of biological classification.

In the elementary, the emphasis is on understanding plant and animal behavior and physiology. The basic needs of plants and animals (e.g. water, food, defense, reproduction) provide the framework for investigating the unique varieties from the point of view of adaptation, both to contemporary environments and throughout time. Children’s observations and discussions of differences build up the stores of experience with which they further their understanding of biological classification.

Music, Art, Drama, Physical Education

Music, art, drama and other cultural forms are part of the daily life of the class. Music, for example, is as much a part of the classroom environment as pictures on the wall. The work with ear training with both the diatonic and chromatic scales began in the preschool. In the elementary we build upon these experiences, taking children into the beginnings of reading and writing music. Beautiful singing is, of course, a part of every day in the classroom.

Rather than art projects, we teach techniques and media for artistic expression. Children use colored pencils, clay, paints, collage and other media to illustrate the work they do in all subjects. Since art, like any other work, is not limited to short “art class” periods and projects, children’s creativity has a chance to truly grow and bloom as a part of everyday activity. Music, art history and appreciation are also included as a part of the children’s study of human culture and can lead to “going out” to attend a performance or visit a gallery.

Drama is a very noticeable part of a Montessori classroom. It is a special love of many children this age, and serves a number of purposes. Making an original play or skit about something they have recently learned is one way in which children truly make knowledge their own. It can also be the occasion for learning to write dialogue, or how to stage or perform in a play. Students also may research and create character performances as part of their study of history, especially in February and March, Black History and Women’s History Months.

Children are physically active continuously throughout the day. Nonetheless, there is a need for the aerobic activity and skill development that physical education provides. Staff teach activities as diverse as yoga, soccer and basketball at different times during the year. Always our emphasis is on skill-building, to develop consciousness and control of movement, to enhance personal confidence, and to teach the techniques and values of teamwork and cooperation.

After Montessori

Many parents observe the school and say, “It’s a great program, but what happens when they leave Montessori at age 12, or perhaps earlier? How will they adjust to more traditional schools?”

We are confident that, although children will notice the differences between schools, the self-motivation, self-discipline and love of learning which children experience and make a part of themselves here, will serve them well in whatever environment they find themselves later in life.

[ Home ] [ Up ]