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The Montessori Elementary Community
(Prep School)
Children
of primary school
age need a curriculum without an end goal, an environment
that provokes awe and wonder,
allowing the child to explore and understand the universe.
Instead of working through a set curriculum according to a
time frame that is the same for everyone, in a Montessori
classroom children are guided towards working on individual
or small group projects, fuelled by their enthusiasm for exploring
topics in which they are interested. The six to twelve year
old child is the most curious, interested human being, with
an almost insatiable hunger for knowledge. They are explorers
of independence, explorers of cosmic patterns, explorers of
the universe, explorers of how things relate to each other
and how people live together, focussing their attention on
imagination which allows us to see the possibilities in reality.
Guided
by their key person and inspired by Montessori materials and
lessons presented by teachers either individually or in small
groups, we makes sure that each child receives a firm foundation
in all academic subjects. The Montessori Great Lessons,
a series of stories and lessons designed to awaken a sense
of wonder as well as providing a scientific understanding
of the history of the universe, are told each year so they
spark the children off, pose the big questions and leave them
to find out. When exploration of a topic exhausts the resources
of the classroom, children must 'go out' beyond the limits
of the classroom to find the information or resource that
they need. Each 'Going Out' is an entire course of study on
independence, responsibility, and good citizenship -to say
nothing of the intellectual rewards that children get from
such experience. Montessori schools are a place for learning
not simply about the function of language and math operations,
but about social conventions, communication, and caring for
others in a community.
Even
though their cognitive development enables children now to
think on ever more abstract levels, primary age children still
benefit immensely from having concepts initially presented
concretely: the Montessori primary curriculum therefore
is rich in concrete, hands-on materials. These are now
complemented with task cards and booklets to give the children
ideas of how to practice their newly learned skills independently
and on an ever more abstract level.
Instead
of formal testing, we use our own assessment and record keeping
system which is based on close observation as each child progresses
through the ever more complex and abstract activities provided.
Children are invited and encouraged to continue their research
projects outside of school hours, but are never given homework
by teachers.
'The
teaching enables pupils to make good progress, encompasses
effective behaviour management and is supported by suitable
resources.' ISI insepction report
Being
based on a careful balance between freedom and responsibility,
the Montessori curriculum acknowledges that being an independent
learner is a skill that needs to be learned, a skill that
needs guidance to flourish. We therefore introduce three
essential tools to assist the child in his path of accountability
and self-construction.
The
Journal - a daily record of each child's work and the
time spent on each activity
The
Rose House Standards - a child friendly representation
of the skills each child in England has to achieve by the
age of 11
The
weekly child & teacher meeting - a weekly meeting
during which the teacher and the child reflect on the child's
learning, their progress and together set next goals.
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