LOWER ELEMENTARY
Entering the SECOND PLANE OF DEVELOPMENT, the elementary child is characterized by the "reasoning mind." Children of this age have a natural curiosity about how things work. They are highly social and want to understand the relationship between both things and people. In answer to these characteristics, lessons are given to small groups of children with the purpose of sparking the children's imagination and sense of wonder, helping them understand the universe around them and their place in it, and taking advantage of their natural inclination toward collaborative learning.
Characteristics of White Rock Montessori Lower Elementary Environments
- Two lower elementary classrooms, each consisting of twenty-four children, ages 6-9 (roughly 1st through 3rd grades)
- Each classroom is directed by two teachers; the student/teacher ratio is 12:1
- Weekly classes with specialists in music, visual arts, environmental science, and Spanish
- Physical Education daily (two classes per week with specialist)
- All children attend five days per week from 8:30 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.
- Children remain in the same classroom with the same teachers throughout their lower elementary years.
- Self-paced/Individualized
- Concrete, manipulative materials organized into the following curricular areas:
- Math
- Geometry
- Language
- Research and Creative Writing
- Foreign Language (Spanish)
- Everyday Living Skills
- Sensory Awareness
- Geography
- History
- Visual Arts
- Drama
- Music
- Science
- Computer Science
- Environmental Science/Gardening
- Physical Education
