LABORATORY FOR CHILDREN
While our Early childhood program focus of physical independence, Our Elementary Program (Grades 1 to 6) focus on intellectual independence – Help Me Think by Myself.
“Imagination does not become great until human beings, given the courage and the strength, use it to create.”
– Dr. Maria Montessori
Our Montessori philosophy is based on the idea that curiosity, learning, and developmental progression are the innate needs of children. We believe that given the proper environment and guidance, youngsters will gravitate toward purposeful activity. Children’s learning environments must accommodate individual interests, needs, and learning styles.
We design our classrooms to promote discovery through manipulative and “real life applications.” This approach is far more beneficial than rote learning or mechanical imitation because children need freedom of movement and choice, and responsibility must accompany freedom.
Our Elementary program is structured into two levels of multi-age groupings.
- Lower Elementary: 6-9 year olds (1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades)
- Upper Elementary: 9-12 year olds (4th, 5th, and 6th grades)
These children are the age of “why,” “where,” “who,” “when,” and “how.”
The Montessori curriculum for the Elementary Level is based on the “Five Great Lessons,” aligned and blend with Indian and international standard which present the emergence of the universe and the progression of human civilization. In principle, Montessori curriculum presents multi-disciplinary information to elementary children in a whole-to-part progression.
The Five Great Lessons Consist of:
- First Great Lesson: The Coming of the Universe and the Earth
- Second Great Lesson: The Coming of Life
- Third Great lesson: The Coming of Human Beings
- Fourth Great Lesson: The Story of Writing, Communication in Signs
- Fifth Great Lesson: The Story of Numbers
Lower Elementary, 1st-3rd grades, ages 6-9
The world opens to children in the lower elementary level with expansive lessons about the story of the universe and the Earth. While studying earth science, history, economic geography, and biomes, they make connections across time, space, and world cultures. Hands-on materials help them commit what they learn to their long-term memory and strengthen their abstract understanding of complex concepts. We support their imagination and their curiosity with creative writing, poetry, research projects, and dramatic presentations. Field trips enrich their appreciation of history, nature, the arts, and our communities. As these children work and play alongside their classmates, they not only experience joyful connections with each other but also learn how to support effective group dynamics and how to work through problems. We prioritize teachable moments in which children learn and model thoughtful communication skills, patience, and empathy. Third-year students are nurturing, engaged role models to the younger students, and leave lower elementary with the advanced academic and social skills they need to excel in the upper elementary program.
Upper Elementary, 4th-6th grades, ages 9-12
Our upper elementary students seek a deeper understanding of the world and their place in it. They create meaningful multi-disciplinary work and are passionate about their interests. The capstone achievement of the upper elementary experience is our sixth-year students’ yearlong research project. Immersing themselves in a topic of their choosing, each student writes an extensive research paper, then delivers a public presentation at a special event. Experiences like this help our upper elementary students develop exceptional poise, responsibility, and communication skills. Upper elementary students work, play, and socialize in beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces, and they explore the world outside our school. Our students move on to middle school as happy, curious, kind children ready to shine academically and socially.
With a focus on developing research and study skills, the core elementary curriculum includes Language arts, Matter and Astronomy, Mathematics (Whole Number, Fractions, Geometry, Negative Numbers and Pre-Algebra), History, Physical geography, Cultural geography, Zoology, Botany, science experiments.