Lower Elementary Program
Multi-age Classrooms
Our elementary program is divided into two levels: Lower Elementary (1st – 3rd grade) and Upper Elementary (4th – 5th grade). As in Children’s House before it, elementary students benefit from having both younger and older students in their classroom community, growing as a group through student-to-student mentoring and leadership.
Individualized Learning and Assessment
Lower Elementary
Our Montessori elementary teachers continually assess the strengths and abilities of their students. In Lower Elementary, this is most often done through formative assessment, as teachers observe students’ work to determine their mastery levels before giving new lessons. Teachers also observe each student’s skills in executive functioning and time management and work to help them grow in these areas.
Discussion and collaboration between teachers and students are important. The nature of a Montessori classroom offers opportunities for teachers to have one-to-one and small group lessons with students. This gives teachers opportunities to understand each student’s level of understanding, to advance students’ higher level thinking skills, and to determine academic pathways appropriate to the developmental needs of each child.