Elementary

The Elementary Program- A Cosmic Education

The Elementary program at Aldea is for children who have completed the Montessori Primary program and are between the ages of 6 and 9 years old (first through third grade).  The Elementary environment reflects a new stage of development and the climate of the classroom is noticeably different from the Primary level.  Highly social, intellectually curious and endowed with fertile imaginations, elementary students are eager to explore the world and the human experience within it.

“The elementary child has reached a new level of development. Before he was interested in things: working with his hands, learning their names. Now he is interested mainly in the how and why… the problem of cause and effect.” – Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Montessori’s elementary level concept is that everything in the universe has a singular purpose—to collaborate in the unfolding of natural and human history.  Her vision is realized through a series of lessons that explain the origins of the Earth, the beginnings of life, the coming of human beings and their accomplishments, including the development of language and number systems.

As led by the Montessori Guide (Teacher), students discover that geography is the story of the Earth’s origins and its environments.  They learn that biology is the study of the coming of life to preserve the harmony of the Earth.  They investigate history as the story of human beings and their influence on all other living things.  The study of language helps them understand how humans communicate, not only in spoken and written work, but through art and music as well.  Through mathematics and science, they explore the formulas that human beings have developed to transform their ideas to inventions.  Often this exploration takes the children beyond the confines of the classroom to investigate further.

Montessori elementary students discover their own unique capabilities, develop their talents constructively, and learn to evaluate their efforts.  They practice independence and responsibility daily.  They are given many opportunities to develop good citizenship.  Noncompetitive methods emphasize respect for the individual and cooperation within the group.  Class council meetings, facilitated by the Montessori Guide (teacher), introduce children to democratic skills for problem solving and goal setting.  Elementary students also plan and carry out numerous service projects that connect them with the larger community.

Click here to learn more about the tools of elementary classroom

Transition to Regular School- Will my child be able to function in a traditional school when his Montessori education is finished?
After being exposed to the Montessori method, many families determine they do not want to stop at the end of Kindergarten, and continue to a Montessori elementary program.

However, students who go on to a traditional environment have no problem transitioning to traditional schools. Typically, a Montessori student is so self-controlled and self-motivated, that the transition happens seamlessly. Some students find they are academically ahead, but find ways, on their own or with their parents’ help, to continue to challenge themselves

Homework and Evaluation- Why don’t Montessori students have homework and take tests?
Dr. Montessori believed that interacting with the Montessori materials provided the best possible understanding of the academic concepts. Instead of teachers assigning tasks to be done at home, the students in a Montessori classroom create their own challenges to complete outside of the classroom.

Dr. Montessori wanted every student to master the skills he is learning, not because the information would appear on a test, but because the student truly was interested in the concept. The Montessori materials offer the student built-in checks to ascertain mastery and the adult in the classroom works closely with the students to ensure that the student understands a concept before moving on.

Other Commonly Asked Questions
Other internet based resources about Montessori can be found at The Montessori Foundation website.