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Elementary Program
At
Spruce Pine Montessori School, we are sensitive to the fact that
children have a variety of different learning styles and that the
development of particular skills will occur at different ages for
different children. The three-year age grouping continues into the
elementary level, resulting in one classroom for 6-9 year
old children
and another for 9-12 year old children. This allows the continuation
of older children teaching the younger ones and gaining
self-confidence and leadership skills in the process. Hands-on
experience is the keystone on which the program is built. Long before
a child can understand a concept, he or she has worked with materials
expressing that concept. In the classroom the children are free to
move about, talk quietly, and do the work of their choice, subject to
structure and guidance. The result is children with a keen sense of
time management skills they have developed in relation to their own
needs. Their accountability for their own learning
leads
to a profound sense of independence and confidence; their natural
interests and love of learning are strengthened and nurtured.
Multi-sensory
learning is still important for the elementary age child. All the
Montessori materials build upon skills acquired earlier, leading the
child through a process of self-discovery that can be missing in other
teaching methods.
The subject of
language is central to this classroom. Spelling, penmanship, and the
study of grammar and creative writing are strong components, along
with reading and writing of poetry. The children move from learning
letter sounds to reading words, sentences, stories and books. Time is
devoted to storytelling, vocabulary
enrichment, drama,
and to nurturing the creative process. The mathematics materials that
Maria Montessori designed for the 6-9 year age level allow the
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to experience (in
a physical and concrete way) the operations of addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division, and into the basics of geometry. The
child is supported in his or her journey towards abstraction.
At the elementary
level a variety of cultural subjects offer a broad vision of the
universe. Enthusiasm is generated in the child to do deeper research
in the subjects of interest, such as geography, botany, or the arts.
Nature study and outdoor education are also important. Classroom
experience is supplemented with field trips on a near weekly basis.
These include visits to historical, art and science museums, cultural
events, concerts, workshops, and environmental sites.
The classroom for
9-12 year old children continues to support high academic standards
along with the goal of fostering
creative, independent thinkers through an experiential child-centered
learning environment. In the language program the emphasis
shifts to writing and reading fluency. Critical thinking and
research skills are emphasized as children learn to question
information sources and develop an understanding of historical
context. Mathematics progresses to higher levels of abstraction,
while children are encouraged
to explore problems of increasing complexity. The program of field
trips continues in conjunction with the study of cultural subjects.
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