EXAMPLE PAGE - SCHOOL BROCHURE - LEWIS & CLARK - Flipbook - Página 50
APPENDIX B
Though people continue to grow, change and learn throughout life,
Dr. Montessori observed that children under 6 are singular in their
capacity to assimilate information when given the freedom to move,
and to use their hands in their work. She called this first plane The
Absorbent Mind.
The child during this age has an irrepressible thirst for experiences and
desires opportunities to use all of their senses to take in the world.
The Elementary Program
There are five Lower Elementary and four Upper Elementary classrooms at our school. Engaging stories called the Great Lessons are told
to children with flair and dramatics, using demonstrations, impressionistic charts and timelines.
This appeals to the child’s imagination and piques their interest in
different aspects of each story. Storytelling in learning attracts the elementary-aged child because they are most interested in “Why” and
“How” questions. The stories move from big picture to increasingly specific events like the Universe, Earth, Life Forms, Humans, the
Story of Language and the Story of Numbers.
These lessons introduce fundamental concepts, and many key lessons
follow in response to the child’s observed area of interest.
The elementary child continues to take further steps towards independence, and this shows up most clearly in a drive to connect to
their peers. The Elementary classroom has mixed age groupings which
appeals to their enthusiasm for collaboration with each other.
The Lower Elementary consists of 6 – 9 year-old students, and the
Upper Elementary serves students aged 9 – 12. These three-year age
groupings inspire children to teach and learn from each other in a
cooperative rather than a competitive environment.
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