The
Elementary Program at Avalon
It
is true that we cannot make a genius. We only give to each child the chance
to fulfill his potential abilities.
Meeting the needs of the child is a key principle in Montessori education and is something we strive for at Avalon. A Montessori Elementary classroom is designed to meet the needs of the child during the second stage of development. We offer a Lower Elementary program for children 6 to 9 years old and an Upper Elementary program for children 9 to 12 years of age.
STARTING SEPTEMBER 2010...AVALON SENIOR SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN AGES 12-14 (GRADES 7 & 8) !!!!!
The second stage of development, the years between 6 and 12, are characterized by relative calm and happiness. Children experience a state of health, strength and assured ability. This is a time of physical stability, as physical changes are minimal compared to 0-6 years and 12-18 years. Around 6 years of age, baby teeth are replaced by permanent teeth, legs grow longer and bodies get longer and thinner. This is the time when children traditionally go to school. The Montessori child is able to build upon the skills acquired in the Children's House/Casa.
The Elementary classroom itself is designed with the materials and resources in particular areas, very much in the same manner as Casa environments. Math, geometry, language, science, history, geography and practical life are some of the areas in the class. To the new student, there are many familiar materials that they will recognize. Some they have been using all along and will now be used in new ways. For example, the same materials used for learning quantity and number in the Casa environment, will be used for beginning multiplication in the lower elementary class, and later used to introduce the concept of squaring in the upper elementary class. There are also many new materials and concepts to explore.
The class will be a group of students that come together as a community of learners, to work within a fully prepared Montessori environment. Our schedule involves receiving lessons, working with the materials and researching with the resources provided in the classroom. Students are encouraged to follow their own interests and at the same time they are encouraged to go out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves. This balance often provides opportunities for achievement that the children feel genuinely happy about.
In the classroom, children are free to collaborate on projects, work in small groups of their own choosing and participate in the establishment of rules and regulations within the environment. Regular class meetings encourage students to share their ideas, questions and concerns in a safe environment. Cooperative learning is encouraged through peer teaching and social interaction.
Elementary aged children want to explore the world around them and are no longer content with the classroom. A major component of the Montessori philosophy is called Going Out. Students are encouraged to supplement their education by 'going out' into the community of which they belong. With the aid of the teacher, students organize a safe and appropriate excursion. This allows the child to find her or his place in the community and gives them a sense of how they fit into the big picture.
Socially, there is great development during this period. Drawn to the group, children begin to distance themselves from families. Children tend to join together and form their own peer groups. Clubs, societies and teams are spontaneously formed by children during this period.
There is great moral development at this time as children are concerned with right and wrong. They are extremely interested in justice and fairness. Dr. Montessori believed that myths, fables, and fairy tales could play a key role in moral understanding and the exploration of feelings and emotions.
Dr. Montessori observed a new direction in the children's development during this period. There is limitless intellectual curiosity and the capability of great effort and concentration. There is an immense appetite for knowledge as children want to know the whole story. One of the key concepts in the Montessori classroom is Cosmic Education. Students are encouraged to look at the inter-relatedness of all things.
The Reasoning Mind emerges at this time. Children are able to keep facts and ideas in relation to each other. There is a movement toward the abstract over the concrete. As Dr. Montessori noted,
"The children are entering into a new world, the world of the abstract. It is a rich world in which the acts accomplished by human beings will interest them more than things ... before they were interested in things. Now they will occupy themselves mainly with the how and why. All that used to attract them sensorially now interests them from a different point of view. They are looking for what needs to be done. That is they are beginning to become aware of the problems of cause and effect".
This is the child for whom the elementary program is designed. Overall, the goal for the elementary student is that he/she will continue to be educated in a way that ensures opportunities to achieve, be challenged, learn and find happiness in their work. For a further understanding of the Montessori Elementary curriculum, please browse the Course Outline page on our website.
At Avalon, one of the many benefits of working in a small school setting is that the communication between the teachers and the everyday contact with the students offers a sense of family, resulting in a great starting point in the classroom.
FOR MORE INFORMATION.....
VISIT OUR SCHOOL DURING AN UPCOMING OPEN HOUSE OR CALL THE SCHOOL TO ARRANGE A TOUR
* Montessori, Maria, From Childhood to Adolescence.