AGES 6-9 | GRADES 1-3
The Montessori Lower Elementary classroom continues to support the physical, social ‐ emotional, and intellectual growth of the child established in the Early Childhood Programs. At Academy of the Winds, there is an increased emphasis on intellectual development as we prepare them for the rigorous Upper Elementary.
The Lower Elementary classroom environment is prepared with carefully selected didactic materials that are available to the students for learning. The daily schedule includes whole group lessons and a work cycle during which teachers give small group lessons, and students select work from each of the curricular areas. The classroom teachers carefully monitor the students’ work selection in order to ensure that students are consistently growing their skill sets in all areas of the curriculum.
The Lower Elementary classroom operates on a three‐year cycle. Students from First through Third grade work together in the classroom, each following an individualized educational program. Concepts are presented according to a spiraling curriculum, meaning that they are revisited during each year of Lower Elementary in greater depth. In addition, concepts are presented from the big picture to the details, meaning that teachers seek to teach all lessons in context. Finally, the Elementary program represents what Dr. Montessori referred to as materialized abstraction, meaning that all concepts are presented with the most concrete materials first, and then with increasingly abstract materials as students mature intellectually.
The Lower Elementary experience is truly unique. Alongside our core academic subjects, we immerse students in the natural world through regular field trips, science investigations, and self‑directed passion projects. Each week, every child also explores art and music, fostering creativity and self‑expression. In addition, we teach practical life skills—including cooking, household care, sewing and knitting, painting, wood‑carving, and introductory engineering—so that our learners become confident, capable, and curious both inside and outside the classroom.
As a graduate from AOW’s Lower Elementary classroom the students are well prepared socially, emotionally, and academically for the next step in their Montessori experience in the Upper Elementary classroom.
