EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
The Elementary Community
“The passage
to the second level of education is the passage from the sensorial material
level to the abstract. A turning toward
the intellectual and moral sides of life occurs at the age of seven.”
~ Dr.
Maria Montessori
The
elementary community is composed of children who thrive on learning with and
from each other. This collaborative
learning environment emphasizes an integrated learning process that achieves
academic success, social competence, and earth literacy. Students develop the ability to work
cooperatively in reaching a goal, to contribute ideas, to listen to others, and
to respect individual differences. According to Dr. Montessori, it is during
this stage of development that the child’s imagination “flares forth”.
The Lower Elementary
Students in the lower
elementary class build upon skills and concepts that were introduced during the
primary years. The lower elementary program recognizes that an important
developmental task for elementary children is to discover their place in the
group. Thus, many of the presentation lessons are given as a group. Lessons are
also presented in a manner that actively engages the reasoning mind and kindles
the imagination.