Montessori Learning
Bare Foot Montessori Elementary, 1st-3rd grade
The Montessori early elementary classroom is a close-knit and supportive place where students feel respected and valued as individuals. This nurturing environment fosters confident individuals by encouraging self-expression, peaceful self-learning, and exploration. Children of different ages learn together, promoting cooperation instead of competition and allowing students to progress at their pace, unhindered by grade levels. Teachers work with small groups or one-on-one, helping each child reach their well-rounded full potential.
Students and parents will find a lively, well-structured classroom where teachers guide and the environment encourages deep exploration, research, and hands-on learning. Students move from using real materials to understanding why and how things work. Our curriculum includes:
Language Arts
Language Arts is woven into every part of our learning environment. We guide students to speak and write clearly and read smoothly. In reading, they build vocabulary, explore literature, develop research skills, and join Literature Circles. Writing lessons cover the writing process, creating sentences and essays, and practicing handwriting, punctuation, and spelling. Grammar lessons teach parts of speech, sentence structure, and other basics that support future learning.
Math
The Lower Elementary math curriculum builds on the basic math skills students learned in the Primary classroom. Using Montessori materials, students build a strong foundation in basic operations and begin exploring topics such as algebra and geometry. They work with hands-on materials and also practice using symbols and patterns to understand abstract ideas. Students learn number facts, functions, money, time, and spatial relationships, while also developing their problem-solving and computation skills.
In most schools, students learn geometry later as a set of abstract rules and theorems. Dr. Montessori believed geometry should relate to real life. She designed a curriculum with hands-on activities that let students discover concepts through independent exploration. The focus is on the process and the effort each child puts in, not just the final answer. The most important part is the learning journey.
Cultural Science
In Lower Elementary, Cultural Studies include zoology, botany, geography, history, earth sciences, and ecology. This curriculum is an essential part of every Montessori classroom, sparking imagination and curiosity. Students begin with the “Five Great Lessons,” which use stories and hands-on materials to ignite creativity and give children a big-picture view of the universe, showing how humanity fits into it. These lessons introduce many science and history ideas, encouraging students to explore and research topics that inspire them. The wide range of subjects helps students learn in ways that align with their interests and learning styles, fostering a lifelong love of discovery.
Cosmic Education
Dr. Montessori summed up the idea of Cosmic Education in this quote:
“The child will develop a philosophy that teaches the unity of the universe, which will motivate his interest, provide better insight into his own place and task in the world, and simultaneously offer an opportunity for the development of his creative energy.”
Cosmic Education helps children see the world as a connected whole. Through this approach, students learn how all living things depend on each other. The Montessori elementary curriculum shows children that nothing in nature exists alone. In this setting, children start to appreciate and understand how everything is linked.
In Lower Elementary, all subjects are woven together to spark children's imagination. Lessons are shared as part of a big story about the earth, life, people, and history, always showing how everything fits together. This helps children see connections and understand both the world and their place in it. This is called Cosmic Education.
Peace
Montessori believed that education could help rebuild society and lead to world peace. She saw teaching peace to students and children as essential to this goal. Although everyone needs food, clothing, and shelter, people meet these needs in different ways based on their environment. Montessori education supports peace by teaching students to respect and be curious about different races, religions, and cultures.
In Montessori classrooms, children learn conflict resolution, communication, building relationships, problem-solving, empathy, independence, teamwork, and advocacy. These skills are important for promoting peace and improving the world.
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