Important Characteristics
Cosmic Education
The philosophy that underlies the Montessori elementary program, known as Cosmic Education, is designed to help individuals search for their place in the universe and to recognize their relationship to other living things. The cornerstone of this learning is the presentation of the Montessori Five Great Lessons. The Great Lessons are an important and unique part of the Montessori curriculum. These lessons are bold, exciting, and are designed to awaken a child's imagination and curiosity. The child should be struck with the wonder of creation, thrilled with new ideas, and awed by the inventiveness and innovation that is part of the human spirit. You can read about each Great Lesson here.
“Learning to Learn”: Inspiring Children to Academic Excellence
Our purpose is to inspire the child toward self-directed academic excellence and nurture their innate curiosity, creativity, and imagination.We teach students to think; not simply to memorize. Students discover their own innate abilities and develop a strong sense of independence, self-confidence, and self-discipline. Students become fully engaged in the educational process. Competition and rewards are never used as motivators for learning or achievement.
Multi Age Grouping
Since Montessori allows children to progress through the curriculum at their own pace, there is no academic reason to group children according to one grade level. In a mixed-age class, children can always find peers who are working at their current level. Younger children are inspired by the work in which they observe their older classmates engaging. Older children have the opportunity to solidify their understanding by sharing their knowledge with younger classmates.
Learning By Doing
Elementary Montessori students make their studies come alive through a host of hands-on and real-life projects and activities. For example, a small group of students who are interested in Ancient Rome might build a model of the coliseum, prepare dioramas of a scene from mythology, or write and produce their own play for the rest of the class. Children learn to use their imagination to come up with new and exciting ways of learning and practicing their skills that are personally engaging.
A Strong Sense of Community
Ideally, two-thirds of the children return each school year for either their second or third year with the same guides. Therefore, most of the children know one another and understand the classroom culture. This makes it much easier to orient new children to the class. The children work together to recognize and develop their community “rights and responsibilities”. As a community, we work together to process new information, address concerns, and share gratitude on a daily basis.
Educators Serve as Guides and Mentors
Elementary Montessori educators cultivate patience, understanding, respect, enthusiasm, and a profound ability to inspire a sense of wonder and imagination in their work with children. Montessori teachers tend to be renaissance men and women, with a wide variety of interests and a personal love for learning. They provide a blend of structure to ensure that the “basics” are mastered, while encouraging and guiding the children as they explore topics and ideas that capture their imagination.
Community Service
Children must be inspired to contribute to the betterment of their world. They often begin with exercises in care for the environment, such as planting trees and flowers, composting garbage, and picking up litter. In Upper Elementary we progress to projects extending beyond the schoolyard, such as removal of invasive species in community parks, volunteering at a retirement home, helping the needy, or supporting environmental organizations throughout the world.
Creating a Global Understanding
World geography, international cultural studies, and world history are central to the elementary Montessori curriculum. We emphasize the interconnectedness of everything and everyone on our planet.
