Lower Elementary
Lower Elementary
Expanding Intellectual Horizons
Our teachers closely observe each student’s progress, offer individual and group lessons, assist in creating personal work plans, and provide non-intrusive support for self-discovery.
About Lower Elementary
The multi-age groupings at Mareas follow the main tenets of Montessori instruction and benefit all of our students. The first year of Lower Elementary is the year of introduction- it is a year for children to learn how the classroom works and what their role is within the community. The second year is one of practice and building academic skills. The Lower Elementary third year is a year of synthesis – when it all comes together. Children of diverse skills and ages are able to assume the role of teacher or learner, leader or follower depending on their level of mastery. Children build strong, authentic communities when they have multiple years to do so. They also bond with their teacher who has time to get to know each student and family as the unique people they are.
The Lower Elementary classrooms are filled with Montessori works that connect to specific lessons the children receive. Subjects include math, geometry, algebra, reading, language, spelling, grammar, history, geography, earth science, and life science. Literacy in reading and basic math skills are a major emphasis in Lower Elementary classrooms. Each day, students attend one or more small group lessons with Montessori Works. They continue using these works over and over until they are mastered. Some students receive one lesson, and the idea clicks for them. Other students might receive multiple lessons for the same work but given in different ways until it makes sense for their learning style.
Our teachers closely observe each student’s progress, offer individual and group lessons, assist in creating personal work plans, and provide non-intrusive support for self-discovery. In the language arts curriculum, students focus on speaking articulately, writing with clarity, and reading with fluency, while the math curriculum deepens students’ understanding of basic mathematical operations and abstract concepts such as algebra and geometry. Cultural studies encompass zoology, botany, geography, history, earth sciences, and ecology