Montessori in our Elementary Classes include:

Individualized attention with low student-teacher ratios. 

With a 1:15 Elementary ratio our teachers are able to get to know each child well.

Outstanding foundational skills in language arts and math, developed with engaging, hands-on materials that progress from concrete to abstract, and enable children to learn joyfully and to truly understand and master skills.

Learning tailored to optimally challenge each child at his/her ability level.

 Montessori teachers rarely teach to the whole class. Instead, they give lessons to small groups based on ability, readiness, and interest. This means that each child is constantly challenged at just the right level. A 2nd grader who is advanced in math may join a group of 3rd graders; if she struggles with reading, she may also join a group of 1st graders in literature circles. Because all instruction is individualized, and with a three-year age mix (1st – 3rd grade, and 4th – 6th are in one mixed-age community), children don’t compare themselves against others as much, and instead focus on their own personal goals and development.

A rich curriculum beyond the literacy and math focus dictated by standardized testing. Montessori offers a rich curriculum in science, geography, cultural subjects, and history, with art and music integrated into the life of the classroom community, starting in the lower elementary years, when some other schools spend the vast majority of teaching time focused on the basic literacy and math skills measured by standardized tests. Enrichment opportunities include field trips and child-led Going Outs for the older children.

Joyful learning, motivated by interest, not rewards. 

Montessori children learn because they enjoy learning—because they delight in new knowledge, or love mastering new skills, or get motivated by seeing older children in class do challenging work. We don’t do letter grades, and we only conduct formal assessments twice yearly for students in third grade and beyond—which helps keep motivation where it needs to be, within the child. Just observe any Montessori elementary class, and you’ll see children engaged, on task—without extrinsic incentives like grades or sticker charts that may work in the near-term but that all too often lead to the “will this be on the test” attitude by middle school.