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For continued development of a child's mind and character, the Elementary program builds upon the foundation laid in the Primary class. Dr. Montessori found that children ages 6 to 12 have their own special sensitivities for learning. These children need a different kind of prepared environment than children 2 1/2 to 6, and they need different types of lessons. In a Montessori Elementary class children are helped to take advantage of their special needs: to explore reasons and causes; to use their powers of abstraction to learn about things which they can not perceive directly; to work with other children on projects; and to work in an environment wider than the classroom (the outdoors, the resources of the community, etc.). The Elementary child's capacity for abstraction allows his/her imagination to explore everything from the origin of the earth to the reaches of outer space. This program offers a high degree of individualized instruction and work. Introductory lessons, called "keys", are given to start the children working in a particular subject area. They present the essentials of each subject in a way that will stimulate the child's desire to learn. The lessons use concrete or illustrative aids at first; then a child is shown how to work in the abstract. Many unique Montessori materials and activities are used to help the child make this transition. After mastering the introductory lessons, the children work independently or in small groups, practicing the ideas and skills, or doing their own research. There are few textbooks or workbooks like those found in the typical classroom. Instead, a child may choose from a variety of books on each subject based on goals and interests. Each child practices reading and writing daily, as a part of his/her own work. But in our program, the children do not just learn basic skills; they learn to apply those skills in order to expand their knowledge. In the process, each child uses and develops a precious possession: his/her reasoning mind. While the Elementary children are free to choose within the structure provided by the environment, they are not free to waste time. Productive work is vital to a child's progress. A Montessori Elementary teacher makes sure that each child masters the work required of children in the local public schools. However, this should be considered a minimum. In a Montessori Elementary class a child is given lessons in many areas not necessarily included in the standard school curriculum, and exploration and research can take the child into much greater depth than is achieved in a standard classroom. Much of the work is done spontaneously; therefore, a child's knowledge is more likely to become a part of him or her. Each child is helped to integrate various aspects of the curriculum so that he/she can better see relationships between physical, biological, and cultural phenomena. Our Elementary children are also taught other skills necessary for students to know. For example, they are expected to meet deadlines, to take quizzes, to take standardized tests, etc. CMS has two Elementary classes, for ages 6 to 9 and 9 to 12. Our Elementary program includes the following: Language:
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30 Old Mill Bottom Road, North, Annapolis, Maryland 21409
Phone: (410) 757-4740 | Fax: (410) 757-8770 Email: cms@Chesapeake-montessori.com © 1999-2004 ~ The Chesapeake Montessori School Website design by The Abel Group |
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"My experiments conducted in many different countries have been going on for forty years, and as the children grew up parents kept asking me to extend my methods to later ages. We then found that individual activity is the one factor that stimulates and produces development, and that this is not more true for the little ones of preschool age than it is for the junior, middle, and upper school children."Dr. Maria Montessori |
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