Elementary Community

6-12 years

From birth to six is a time with special characteristics, which are very different from those belonging to the period from six to twelve – so different that we can say the child has two different lives: one finishes at six and another one begins. It is like a second birth. ” - Maria Montessori

The Lower Elementary class is composed of 6- to 9-year-old children and the Upper Elementary is a group of 9- to 12-year-old children.

As children move through age six, they enter the second plane of development, where imagination and reasoning are used to gain knowledge and information. The Montessori Elementary program gives these abilities prominence in the child’s learning process, fostering an interest in facts and factual relationships. According to Montessori, this is the time to sow the seeds of culture.

Elementary children use concrete Montessori materials to learn abstract concepts, gradually internalizing the concepts and developing the ability to think abstractly. They enjoy working collaboratively and become actively involved in building their community. Elementary students are more socially oriented, eager for more knowledge, and actively seek opportunities to explore.

Benchmarks

Benchmarks reflect base expectations. Children advance according to their developmental readiness, which is the premise of the Montessori philosophy including quality and level of work completed. Guides utilize a multi-sensory approach, which addresses all learning styles and creates the optimal learning environment. Benchmark tables can be expanded below by clicking the ^

Life Skills/Development

Self-motivated and curious
Responsible and accountable
Independent learner
Respect for environment
Ability to comprehend what is heard
Focus on work for 30-45 minutes
Sequence of three directions
Conflict resolution/problem solving skills
Respectful of self and others
Explore abstract world
Reasoning
Moral sense
Imaginative
Connection with facts, thoughts, and memories
Daily work plan

Language

Language Tower skills: (compound words, suffix, prefix, antonym, synonym, homophone, homonym, homographs, capitalization, abbreviation, apostrophe, comma, quotation marks, classification, ABC order, guide words, dictionary and thesaurus)
Nine parts of speech: article, adjective, noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, conjunction, preposition, interjection; derivations, etymology
Sentence types: statement, exclamation, question and command
Punctuation: period, comma, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks
Five sentence paragraph beginning with a topic sentence
Fluency: expression, accuracy and meaning in reading
Grade level comprehension
Spelling: phonograms, digraphs, dipthongs, blends, short and long vowels, applying spelling to sentences and paragraphs
Decoding and comprehension strategies
Phonics
Sight word vocabulary
Guided reading
Chapter books
Literary forms
Sequence order in a story
Syllables
Glossary and reference skills
Book report
Author and illustrator
Research and information skills
Introduction to outlines
All lesson are taught in English

Writing

Cursive
Montessori cursive handwriting booklet
Write short assignments neatly in copy book
Ability to copy information correctly
Write summary, daily journal topic, book report, letter, short story, poetry
Sentences and paragraphs, creative writing, letters and invitations, original stories and poems, research reports
Letter, paragraph, chapter story, journals, descriptive, persuasive, narrative, expository, poem, invitation
Writing process: prewriting, drafting,
Bibliography

Mathematics

Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts using various Montessori materials
Numeric order, place value
Telling time using analog and digital clock
Identify, name, add and subtract fractions with like denominators, equivalence, identify numerator and denominator, convert improper and mixed fractions
Geometric shapes, solids and symmetry
Area of rectangles, perimeter
Word problems
Addition and subtraction with exchanges, multiplication with multi-digit numbers, single and double-digit division with remainders (into the millions)
Graphs (collect and represent data)
Mental math and estimation
Measurement: length, weight, temperature
Skip counting and multiples 1-10
Coin and bill combinations
Rounding

History/ Cultural Studies/ Geography

History of writing and math
Timeline of history including pre-history, ancient Greece, Rome and China, Europe; United States
Analyze needs of human society: communication, art, religion, transportation, food, health, shelter, clothing, industry, mechanization, economy and agriculture
Human settlement and its influence on the environment and geography
Development and interdependence of local, state, national and international communities
Exchange of goods and services
Contribution of individuals, cultural diversity and heritage
Values and laws of communities, concerns; lawmaking process
Famous Americans, U.S. national holidays, Native Americans, regional groups and way of life
Rules/laws for classroom, school and community, citizen and environmental responsibilities
Community needs, resources and relationships, comparisons of communities
Physical and political map and globe skills

Life Science Physical Science Earth Science Health

Timeline of Life
Development of life; adaptation to environment
Scientific method
Classification of organisms
Observation skills; use a microscope
Flowering plants, plant parts, trees and classification
Plant care and functions
Identify animal groups: invertebrates/vertebrates
Animal care and functions
Animal behaviors/habitats (endangered)
Three states of matter, energy, motion, properties of air/sound
Observe physical and chemical changes
History of science/technology; simple machines
Balance and weight
Ecology, recycling
Composition of solar system
Formation of: volcanoes, seas, atmosphere, plate tectonics
Weather, seasons, change
Rocks, minerals, soil, cycle, components
Human body systems: support, movement
Nutrition, personal hygiene

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