Junior Elementary at Alcuin Montessori

​Walking into an Alcuin Junior Elementary classroom, one is immediately struck by two things:  there is a busy hum of activity, and the children are engaged and happy.

As children move through age six, they enter the second plane of development in which imagination and reasoning are used to gain knowledge and information.  The Junior Elementary program gives these abilities priority in the child’s learning process, fostering an interest in facts and factual relationships. According to Dr. Maria Montessori, this is the time to sow the seeds of culture. 
 
​“What I think is special is all the kids are so kind, all the good lessons are so cool, all the people are so nice, and all the peace.”

“What I like about Junior Elementary is that I get to do handwriting and Spanish and landforms and small bead frame!”

 “I like Junior Elementary because we get to cook, use the microscope, and do experiments. We get to grow crystals and go on field trips. We get to have school pets and great lessons.”

The above quotes are from Alcuin first, second, and third-grade members of our Junior Elementary program. 

Alcuin’s Junior Elementary teachers make sure the children’s academic work is balanced but also empower them to make their own choices. The children are taught independence and how to manage their time. They manage their daily goals and their week’s worth of work. They are positively challenged academically, socially, and emotionally.

In addition to a strong academic curriculum, the children's social skills are enhanced through an emphasis on independent learning, cooperative group relationships and personal responsibility. A sense of respect and collaboration creates a social community that encourages cooperation rather than competition. The children work collaboratively, showing that they can work well with peers and enjoy their time in the classroom. They are learning and having fun in the process. Self-discipline, independent work habits, and self-direction are required of the children in these classes. 
 
Junior Elementary teacher, Nicole Cochrane, states, “I love in Junior Elementary that we are teaching them how to maneuver the difficulty of socializing. At 6-9 years old the children are learning how to socialize, they care what others think of them, and they have a strong sense of justice. The teachers guide the children in standing up for what they believe but in a peaceful and respectful manner. When social mistakes are made, we teach the children how to request a peace talk and let someone know they are upset. We also teach the children how to give meaningful apologies and reflect on their behavior.”

The Junior Elementary children also benefit from the strong peace curriculum offered. At Alcuin, there isn’t just one unit on peace. It is interwoven into everything the children do and equally as important as learning to read, write, or solve math equations. The children are taught how to be the best they can be, how to act and react in difficult situations, how to be a good friend and classmate, and how to have respect for themselves, for others, and for the environment. 

​Resourcefulness, problem-solving, self-advocacy, compromise, listening skills, executive functioning, conflict resolution – the children in our Junior Elementary program are fortunate that along with great academic preparation, they are also given the skills they will need throughout their lives from childhood to adulthood.