Elementary

The Montessori School offers a comprehensive Elementary education for children ages 6 - 12 in the form of a mixed age community classroom. Children typically attend for a three-year cycle in lower Elementary and another three-year cycle in upper Elementary as they explore developmentally appropriate works at their own pace. The school day runs from 8:15 am - 3 pm with before and after care available. To learn more about our Elementary Program, feel free to request a tour.

Inquiry Form

Elementary Program Overview

Elementary classroom corner featuring works with nature such as animals, bugs, plants, bones, and so much more. Behind the shelves are large window walls.

Low, child-sized corner shelves featuring color coordinated language works in wooden activity boxes as well as books and a photo of Maria Montessori. Next to the shelves is a child-sized table. Behind the shelves are more windows.

This image features the window wall as the background and shelves directly in front of it. In the forefront of the photo, a small table for floor sitting is available with three tables and chairs to the left of it. A small shelf of works sits off to the right side of the floor table.

Side of student wearing red shirt is shown with deep concentration as they focus on the subtle hue changes in the tile in their hand. They just begun on yellow.

Back of student with long black hair and hands on their lap is facing away from camera and focused on a lead guide with their hands shown in the upper right corner. They are sitting on the floor at a small table with test cards laid out as they take their pre-assessment test for the year.

The top of two students wearing thick coats heads are shown as they examine specimens collected in the creek located on the Pond Property.

A bright and clean classroom showing many tables and chairs. The left wall is open with all windows while the back all has two windows. Shelves with works are all along the edges of the classroom layout.

This image features the right wall in the classroom showing a tv screen, more shelves with materials and works, a white board, as well as two doors - one peeking into the library.

The classroom library is shown with a table and chairs in the center surrounded by well organized shelves and baskets with various resources and materials.

Student is holding a pencil while leaning their elbow on their paper with language works on both sides of them. They are observing the peer next to them as they work with a math material.

Lead Guide, Anne Wester, knelt down with two students as they all turn over a log to discover what is underneath. The ground is covered in leaves and all three are wearing winter coats and hiking boots.

Student is on a mat and just beginning to lay out bright orange cards for culture. They are wearing a bright red sweatshirt and light blue pants.

Classroom Model

Children progress through the materials in the Elementary classroom at a pace that is appropriate for each individual child. Children learn to research information, write reports, and make presentations to the group. They design and carry out their own community service activities, write plays, build models of the universe, and study foreign languages. The range of topics is limitless and the curriculum is vast. Montessori has a proud history of offering excellent hands-on, concrete materials to teach abstract concepts in both science and math. The children explore art, music, biology, health and wellness, chemistry, poetry, theater, engineering, and more.

The program is guided by individualized yet collaborative learning. Each child is a unique person with particular aptitudes and interests. The role of the Montessori teacher is to provoke questions and teach the children the skills to answer those questions. The teacher serves as a guide to each child in his or her own learning, exploring a diverse curriculum, and creating rich learning experiences as the child moves from concrete to abstract thinking. Our teachers match their instruction with each child’s learning style and natural talents, ensuring every child is engaged and invested in learning, and capable of achieving success.

Together, children and teachers create an inclusive environment that supports social and emotional development. Children help one another and come to feel that helping is part of living. The feeling in the room is more like that of an extended family, and the focus on respectful social interaction and problem solving cultivates a social maturity atypical of children of this age. The strength of these relationships allows the children to take risks, voice opinions, and creatively express themselves.

Curriculum

Math: Students learn to master concrete skills before they move on to abstract concepts. Topics such as hierarchy of number, operations, fractions, math facts, time, money, measurements, geometry, word problems, and algebra are explored.

Language Arts: Students learn the history of language, grammar, mechanics of language, word study, cursive writing, and spelling patterns. There is a great emphasis on becoming a confident writer.

Reading: Students learn in small groups and individually, rather than by grade level or as a class. They are able to explore a variety of genres while gaining the skills needed to be life-long readers. “Book Clubs” meet multiple times per week to discuss literature.

Science and Social Studies: Students in Lower Elementary are introduced to the areas of astronomy, meteorology, chemistry, physics, geology, geography, biology, botany, ancient life, history, cultural studies, and more! Students in Upper Elementary have the advantage of building on these lessons with more focused work and research projects. A STEM curriculum offers cool projects like building a 3D printer.

Art: Students are able to choose to do art on a daily basis with lessons in drawing, painting, sculpture, art history, and more! Various mediums and tools are available for use on art projects or to extend other academic areas.

Music: Twice weekly, students build on skills in recorder, xylophone, body percussion, hand percussion instruments, and voice. A strong emphasis is placed on structured improvisation with instruments, the voice, and movement. Students learn about composers, their periods and styles, and families of instruments. They showcase their skills in two concerts each year.

Health and Wellness: This curriculum addresses a student’s physical, mental, and emotional health, which gives them the necessary tools and skills as they explore different seasonal activities. Yoga and mindfulness, tennis instruction at the YMCA, anatomy, and physiology, as well as nutrition lessons round out our wellness curriculum. The curriculum is designed to help students care for their own health over a lifetime.

Five chickens are in a pen outdoors. They are various colors of white, orange, brown, and black. Each chicken is facing a different direction with one standing in the middle of the cluster.

Two students lean their shoulders closer to one another as they pose for a photo with fishing poles, white and grey t-shirts, and a backpack. They are standing next to a small shed in the woods.

Outdoor Learning

The Montessori philosophy embraces the lessons our natural environment can provide, and we have put much care into cultivating an outdoor space that facilitates this exploration. Our students enjoy planning and maintaining several garden beds. Currently we have a native wetland garden, two wildflower gardens — all of which are certified Monarch Waystations — and are in the process of planning a fourth butterfly garden.

Each year, students choose an environmental action project that interests them and also acts as a service learning project. Placed-based action projects allow the students to observe and experience the interconnectedness of all living things, including themselves. They serve as curricular extensions that raise ecological awareness within the child, meet their developmental needs and encourage them to explore and connect with the natural environment, both on campus and in the larger community.

Additional Elementary Program Highlights

Field Trips: Students participate in class field trips* to camp, concerts, plays, and outdoor learning opportunities. Additionally, students plan their own "Going Out" trips to explore individual topics of interest and foster community engagement.
Private Music Lessons: Students can participate in private piano lessons and the Recorder Ensemble.
Peace Education: Students meet regularly to discuss empathy, self-expression, conflict resolution, and learn strategies to understand their own feelings and needs. These skills, which encourage emotional intelligence, are practiced daily.
Enriching After-School Program: In our outdoor learning environments, "The Hill" and "The Pond Property," students have the opportunity for supervised free play. The explore a variety of activities, including: the study of plants and animals, art, literature and writing, and various outdoor games.

With a large box of moss front and center of the image, a child is seen holding and small a small piece with their right hand. They are sitting at a table in the classroom wearing a Stitch sweatshirt with bright green sleeves.

Two students are shown sitting on the floor about to play chess. One student sits facing the camera and debating their first move of Chess. The other student is facing away from the camera as they focus on their opponent.

Child wearing a hat covered in cats and a pink shirt stretches their arm up to the words, "Your Michigan Wether Today". They are standing in front of a weather map of Michigan that features movable weather magnets for play.

Looking down on to a student with red hair and a black camouflage shirt who is sitting on the floor and just starting to lay down their work tiles in color groups. They have paper below their elbows that are resting on the table.

Hands of Elementary child are holding a large frog whose head is peaking out between their hands. Behind their hands shows the outdoor environment featuring our creek.

Sixth Year Internship: The ultimate opportunity for independence is presented in The Sixth Year Internship. Students attend their internship once per week and benefit from three internships in the areas of: Social Programs, Internal TMS Opportunities, Technology, Culinary Arts, Business, Farming, Science, Education, and Manufacturing
Preparation for Middle School and Beyond: Students learn time management, self-motivation, and executive functioning skills. Our goal is to create kind, inclusive, responsible, and sensitive members of society who will be successful in any future environment.
Kalamazoo Promise Eligible: Students of The Montessori School living in the Kalamazoo Public School district who complete our Elementary program would enroll in KPS to begin their 7th-Grade year. Provided they remain enrolled at KPS through the completion of their 12th-Grade year, they would then be eligible to receive 75% of the benefits awarded through The Kalamazoo Promise.

The Elementary Program

Elementary

The Montessori School