This month, we will explore the Lower Elementary classroom.
Children’s House | Lower Elementary | |
---|---|---|
Ages | 3 – 6 years | 6 – 9 years |
Curriculum | Child driven (individual) | Curriculum driven (small groups) |
Plan of Development | First Stage: Conscious Absorbent Mind | Second Stage: Calm Phase of Uniform Growth |
Characteristics of each Plane | free willed, conscious and eager to explore their environment | strong emphasis on culture (the child’s and those of others) and moral reasoning |
Role of the Child | categorize and clarify the world, building on the knowledge learn unconsciously during the first half of the first stage | define their place in the world and build on the knowledge learned in the first stage |
Role of the Teacher | observe and guide children, plan individually, prepare the environment with rich resources to meet each child’s needs | present key information and material in areas of study, guide children in developing projects to explore aspects of subject areas |
Areas of Study | practical life, sensorial, math, language, cultural (geography and science), art | language, math, geometry, science, history, geography |
Additional Areas | P.E. (K only), music (post COVID) | Spanish, music, P.E., art, ecological studies |
Expectations | daily work, focus on work, responsible work choices | planning their day, completing weekly work and follow up work |
Language Acquisition | words/nomenclature | definitions of vocabulary learned in the Cildren’s House |
Material | concrete representations of abstract concepts | more abstract materials present (especially in mathematics) |
Reading and Handwriting | emerging | independent |