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Montessori 6-9/9-12
In contrast to a grade-level classroom where a child has one year to cover certain learning objectives, the Montessori elementary classroom provides flexibility over several years.
Our elementary classroom is divided into four areas: Mathematic, Language, Culture (which includes history, geography, and science), and Computers. Each child is supplied with journals to record his daily work. These serve as organizational tools for the student, fostering his independent learning. One day a week is "Wheel Day," and students rotate through four enrichment subjects throughout the day. The subjects vary from quarter to quarter and year to year. Wheel Day topics may include P.E., Spanish, art, music, drama, science, and grace and courtesy.
Language
Emphasis is put on fluency, comprehension, correct grammar, creative writing, and the use of references both in the school and the community. The children write and perform plays for their own amusement. All of this is interrelated with the other "core" subjects.
Mathematics
Continuing from the pre-school foundation, all concepts are introduced with concrete materials-from basic operations through squaring, cubing, prime factors, square roots, geometry, and algebra. All concepts are given when the child is ready and not at a given chronological age. Our students constantly work above expected grade level.
Culture
The Culture area is one of the favorites. There is always an air of excitement and anticipation. The children actually participate in their learning and link all cultural aspects together. They look at earth in geography and link social and economic development with the physical geography that affects it. Science may be enhanced by a specialist doing experiments with the children-again, hand-on involvement is used with the students. The classroom may contain a wide variety of animals for the children to study and take care of.
Art, music, and physical education vitalize the already integrated Montessori elementary prepared environment. Art projects are natural extensions of classroom work. For example, a child may make a tapestry of geometric figures, a three-dimensional salt map of a continent, or a mural of Colonial life. All of these projects reinforce and expand academic skills and artistic sensitivities. The schools may have annual art shows and musical performances.
Music activities complement the child's work. National anthems, folk songs, and historical ballads key into the social studies areas, for instance. Writing music and plays provides occasion for dramatic integration of the arts-drama, speech, painting, and literature.
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