Elementary 1 (6-12 years)
Elementary 1
(6-12 years)
Program Overview
The Montessori Lower Elementary Program is specifically tailored for children between ages six and twelve. It takes into account the unique developmental stage that children of this age are undergoing, marked by increased social awareness, blossoming imagination, and the emergence of a moral compass. Within this program, younger children are motivated by the advanced work older students. The focus here is not on memorisation of facts but on facilitating an understanding of concepts and fostering a love of learning
The Child
By the age of six, children have a strong drive to be social and collaborative. They have developed the social skills necessary to work in pairs and in groups and will be ready to work on projects together. Children of this age are much better equipped to resolve conflicts by themselves.
The Method
The Montessori Elementary curriculum was developed as an integrated whole to serve the developmental needs of children from ages 6 to 12. Dr. Montessori termed this period the second plane of development. The continuity of the curriculum allows individual children to move through the various subject areas at the pace that is best for them, building confidence and genuine self-esteem. The division of the Elementary into two stages, 6-9-year-olds and 9- 12-year-olds is based on the students’ developmental needs as they move towards adolescence. The work in the lower elementary is done with extensive Montessori material allowing the children not only to experience the depth and breadth of the curriculum but also to become comfortable with their own learning styles.
In this stage of their education, children learn abstract concepts and develop an enormous desire to learn about their world and culture. The starting point for their study at this stage are the five Great Lessons:
- The History of the Universe
- The Development of Life
- The Development of Man
- Communication and Writing
- The History of Numbers
These five lessons give children the big picture of earth science, geography, history, physics, language, mathematics, music and art, all of which stimulate and inspire them to explore the subjects further and work on their own. The Montessori way is to guide children by a self knowledge process, enabling them to find their place and purpose in the world, in order to be part of its improvement.
Our Curriculum
The children learn Mathematics, language, Spanish, English, Biology, Geography, History, Technology, Sensorial and Practical life lessons. Specialist teachers also introduce French, Performing Arts, Art and Creativity, Physical Education,
Emotional Intelligence, Health and Food Education and Environmental Studies.
Learning Materials
Our classroom space is beautiful, light and airy and thoughtfully laid out to support independent learning. The materials are organised and tidy, encouraging children to want to use them. Children can choose for themselves where they want to work, either on the floor, at a table, outside; on their own, in pairs or in a group. Learning here is child-centred rather than adult-centred and students take on the responsibility for their own learning. They become self- directed and self-initiating in the learning process and discover that their curiosity can drive their learning. The Montessori guide will give explicit instructions to the students in the proper way of using the materials, which are attractive, and pleasing to touch, and encourage the students to use them well. The habits for a life-long learner are laid down early in a Montessori education
Dual Language
The International Montessori School is a dual language bilingual school.
Children will be introduced to all activities they learn in Spanish and English. We always use two languages in our environments. The curriculum covers comprehensive and production of oral text, comprehension and production of written text. Children also learn french.
- Golden beads and wooden hundred squares: These are a key material that is used to teach the decimal system and the hierarchy of numbers. The beads represent units, tens and thousands and are used to teach quantity, place value and to introduce the concepts of addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division.
- Wooden map of the world and flags: one of the great lessons introduced at this stage is the concept of our world. Children learn to place the countries in the correct location and match with the nation flags. Younger children use this material to develop fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination and later on learn the names of the countries of the world.
- Wooden Abacus: This ancient method, representing units, tens and thousands, is perfect for children to understand the decimal system and enables them to make calculations up to 9,999,999. This tactile material helps children develop logical mathematical concepts.
Daily Schedule
Monday to Friday 09:00 until 16:00
Breakfast club -07:30 until 09:00 – This facility is included within the program. *
IMS also offers an afternoon club until 18:00
