After the completion of the Primary 3 year cycle, parents are faced with a variety of choices for their child’s Elementary education.
Children who have the chance to continue their Montessori education have the unique opportunity to develop an important skill set that is often overlooked in traditional school settings but is much in demand by future employers and universities alike. These are executive functioning skills.
They include:
- time management skills
- the ability to work collaboratively
- self motivation
- self direction
- self discipline
- along with many other skills that are all a part of the Montessori curriculum.
An elementary Montessori education prepares children to become capable, accountable, knowledgeable students with a strong sense of self.
The Montessori curriculum builds on the three main characteristics of children in this age group – the growing ability to form abstract ideas from concrete information, the drive to develop and be accepted by their own peer groups, and a fascination with all aspects of their life. Large blocks of time – called work cycles – encourage long periods of deep, uninterrupted concentration daily which enable the students to focus their attention on a particular skill until it has been learned.
The Montessori Cosmic Curriculum is based upon The Great Lessons – presentations that tell the story of the beginning of the Universe through the use of elaborate timeline lessons and beautiful cultural materials that integrate Math, History, Geography, Life Sciences, Literature, Language, Art and Music. The students learn their place in the universe. This interdisciplinary approach helps children understand the interconnectedness of all things as they develop creative and critical thinking skills.
The Elementary years are the years of group projects, experiments, non-competitive sports, field trips to broaden their academic knowledge and the introduction of community service to others.
We believe Montessori can provide not only a strong academic foundation but also provide the critical skills your child needs in the world to come.
To end with a quote from Dr. Montessori –
“We cannot make a genius – we can only give to each child the chance to fulfill their potential possibilities.”
