Greensboro Montessori School
Lower El Curriculum

Ages 6 to 9 years
(First through third grade)

Children 6 to 9 years of age are inquisitive about the world around them and they are ready to develop and refine the skills necessary for inquiry. The Lower Elementary children at The Greensboro Montessori School study an integrated curriculum which builds skills in the core areas of reading, writing, and math as they explore cultural subjects such as physical science, biology, geography, history, social studies and Spanish. Manipulative materials support learning in all subject areas. The Five Great Lessons form the foundation of the Lower Elementary Curriculum and give the children an impressionistic understanding of the world in which they live.

These introductory lessons point the children toward further learning through hands-on experiments, reading, writing, calculation, and presentation. Additionally, the children use and expand the practical life skills they need in order to become independent learners.

Children of this age are hungry for knowledge and continuously ask questions about the “how” and “why” of their world. In a Montessori elementary classroom, all subjects are integrated to give the children an understanding of the interconnectedness of everything in the universe. Children are allowed to explore and research the answers to their questions, which ultimately leads to more questions. Children view their world in a way that is not fragmented, but as an integrated whole. They acquire an idea of the vastness of the universe as well as an understanding of how each small aspect of nature is crucial to the whole. They come to realize just how short a time human beings have existed on the earth and how written language has existed for an even shorter time.

Lower Elementary teachers present The Great Lessons in an impressionistic, dramatic way to whet the interest of the elementary child who learns best through story telling. Extensive follow up activities and studies in experiential learning are linked to the lessons throughout the academic year.

The Great Lessons. The Creation of the Universe, The Coming of Life, The Coming of Human Beings, The Story of Communication in Signs (written language from the earliest pictograms to the Phonetian alphabet and the historical influence of written language on human society), The Story of Numbers (the invention of number systems and the power of our decimal system), The Story of Country (focusing on both human anatomy, physiology and the evolution and integration of civilization).

Field Trips. Students have many opportunities to enrich their studies through field trips to numerous art, science, and history museums, and include locations such as Dixie Caverns, the Cherokee Reservation, and a variety of cultural events and theatrical presentations.

Culminating field trips at the end of the year are arranged for the 2nd and 3rd level students. A 3 day trip to the Earthshine Outdoor Education Program in Lake Toxaway, NC is an exciting event for the 2nd levels. The 3rd levels travel to the Sound to Sea program at Pine Knoll Shores on the Outer Banks to study the barrier island and it’s 5 habitats.

Subject areas. Botany, biology, physical science, environmental studies, history, geography, reading, writing, math, cultural studies, Spanish, world music, physical education, and art.

Extensive use of the School’s gardens and land campus, in connection with the science and environmental studies, provide students with hands-on learning opportunities for understanding the delicate balances within nature. Plant and animal life cycles and systems, biome studies, and physical science studies are enriched by the possibilities for experiential learning.

As in the Primary classrooms children are supported in resolving their own conflicts with each other. The lower elementary classrooms provide children with a Peace Table to come to for working out their disagreements.