"The secret of good teaching is to regard the child's intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination. Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core."
-Dr. Maria Montessori
The Elementary I Program is for children six to nine years-old, 1st through 3rd grades. Imagination is the great power of this age and our program is structured to nurture and support this power. This special mental ability enables the child to imagine what exists or has existed but cannot be seen because of time or distance. Not only can imagination travel through infinite space but also through infinite time. So, the Elementary I child learns about such things as how humans have met their basic needs since they first appeared on earth, how the earth was formed, how plant and animal life are deeply interconnected.
Elementary I children want to become self-sufficient, prove their new independence and help their neighbor. They have hunger for knowledge and understanding. Our hope is that the child loves everything learned, for mental and emotional growth.
A strong emphasis is placed on learning basic academics: reading, writing, math, geometry, and grammar. At this age, our teachers still rely upon the use of physical, manipulative materials to teach abstract concepts.