Junior and Senior Elementary (Ages 6 to 9 and 9 to 12)
From birth to six is a time with special characteristics, which are very different from those belonging to the period from six to twelve – so different that we can say the child has two different lives: one finishes at six and another one begins. It is like a second birth. ” - Dr. Maria Montessori
Walking into an Alcuin 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. Our Elementary programs give 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.
The Elementary grades, 1st through 6th, are organized into two levels of mixed-age classes. The Junior Elementary class is composed of 6- to 9-year-old children (1st-3rd grade) and the Senior Elementary is a group of 9- to 12-year-old children (4th-6th grade). The children usually enter the class at the beginning of the three-year cycle and stay with the group until they are ready for the next level.
Elementary children use concrete Montessori materials to learn abstract concepts, gradually internalizing the concepts and developing the ability to think abstractly. They enjoy working collaboratively and become actively involved in building their community. Elementary students are more socially oriented, eager for more knowledge, and actively seek opportunities to explore.
The Elementary grades, 1st through 6th, are organized into two levels of mixed-age classes. The Junior Elementary class is composed of 6- to 9-year-old children (1st-3rd grade) and the Senior Elementary is a group of 9- to 12-year-old children (4th-6th grade). The children usually enter the class at the beginning of the three-year cycle and stay with the group until they are ready for the next level.
Elementary children use concrete Montessori materials to learn abstract concepts, gradually internalizing the concepts and developing the ability to think abstractly. They enjoy working collaboratively and become actively involved in building their community. Elementary students are more socially oriented, eager for more knowledge, and actively seek opportunities to explore.
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.
Our 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 Elementary programs are fortunate that along with great academic preparation, they are also given the skills they will need throughout their lives from childhood to adulthood. Our Elementary children love coming to school, and are in a place that genuinely cares for who they are as a learner and, more importantly, a person.
Before and after school care is also offered to students enrolled in this program. Additionally, our Senior Elementary students also spend a week at the Montessori land-based school, Nature's Classroom, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, while our third graders have an overnight trip at the end of the year at Camp Duncan YMCA in Ingleside, Illinois.
Our 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 Elementary programs are fortunate that along with great academic preparation, they are also given the skills they will need throughout their lives from childhood to adulthood. Our Elementary children love coming to school, and are in a place that genuinely cares for who they are as a learner and, more importantly, a person.
Before and after school care is also offered to students enrolled in this program. Additionally, our Senior Elementary students also spend a week at the Montessori land-based school, Nature's Classroom, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, while our third graders have an overnight trip at the end of the year at Camp Duncan YMCA in Ingleside, Illinois.
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