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 child

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.