The grade four elementary is the first generation of our Montessori batch. A batch who entered Vivek High through the Montessori Pedagogy, resiliently carried through it during the online period and is back again to an enriching environment that caters to their needs and their hunger for knowledge. Our fourth graders are rocking the year with their imagination, creative projects, research work, and participation in various activities and sports along with a packed productive day.
The third floor of the junior wing which houses the eight Upper Elementary environments, is abuzz with activity. With God’s blessings the new rooms were inaugurated by the children themselves and our head of Junior Wing, Ms MeenuSahi. The airy and well-lit class environments equipped with the Montessori materials, have come alive with the presence of energetic children. In the corridors, the students of classes 3 and 4 are seen productively engrossed in group projects on various topics across the curriculum.
For Montessori in General
The Montessori Pedagogy for Elementary is a programme that aims at bringing Holistic Education to the child from age 6 to 12 years. Panning over six subject areas like Geography, Biology, History, Language, Mathematics and Geometry the curriculum gives the children an overview into the overlapping pattern of all the areas while bringing them to the understanding of the laws of the universe, the interconnectedness and ultimately their cosmic role and responsibility towards humanity and every other aspect as a whole.
The children of age 6 -12 have the mind that Montessori calls the “Reasoning Mind”. An age that pushes them to find the reason behind everything around them. It is the “Why” period for these gregarious and imaginative children and the Montessori Curriculum is curated to meet these needs by creating a desire to find out more. Here is a glimpse into the subject areas in an Elementary Classroom.
Geography – A study of the aspects of the physical world. This area brings the universe to the child. Starting with the “Story of the Universe” a story that, through imagination, helps connect the mere understanding of existence and leads to the exploration of numerous lessons branching out the study of geology, meteorology, astronomy, physics and chemistry. It highlights that the universe has its own rules and laws that it follows constantly while building moral sense for the children.
Biology – This area appeals greatly to the child’s ability to observe and the sense of wonder that he has towards nature. Creating a “Nature Conscious” generation is the aim of this subject area. Here we start with the “Coming of Life Story”. Exploring the needs, beauty, symmetry and the harmony of everything in nature leads them to the appreciation of and responsible for sustaining the same. A realization that biotic and abiotic aspects are dependent on each other for survival is the ultimate goal.
History – Visualizing and relating to the past and its events and fathoming the impact of history on our current existence is what makes this area unique to the child of 6-12 age. Starting with the “Coming of Humans” story, understanding time and moving on to events of history is what takes this child on a time travel spree through his own imagination based on facts. Everything has a history, which is clearly evident through this area. Gratitude to the past and its contributors makes this child question his own contribution to the community creating a conscientious personality.
Language – Language is the feather in the hat of humanity. It is only through language that we can pass on our experiences to others. Whether in the oral form or the written form, language holds its own place. The Montessori Language Curriculum for the Elementary breaks down this vast area into understanding the logical fragments and then putting them together to come to complete interpretation. Moving from “Story of Language” to studying the word to analysing sentences and interpreting classics and the style is what brings about expression to the child’s thoughts and ideas.
Mathematics & Geometry – Dr. Montessori made concrete, one of the most abstract but exact sciences that civilizations discovered as a means to their day-to-day basic needs making it a part of their culture. The subject area focuses on the “Mathematical Mind” that exists in every human being. In the Elementary Classroom these two areas boost the reasoning mind, the mathematical mind and the hunger for challenges leading to intellectual discoveries. It is also connected with geography, history, biology and language. The curriculum takes the children from manipulation material to understand the concept to putting it down on paper.
To sum it up, the curriculum instills into the children the intellectual independence and personality that is based on reasons and morals that are open for the children to discover themselves.