Elementary Class 6–12 Years Old

The child’s needs

With children aged 3 to 6, the educator gives individual presentations of materials, using slow, precise movements that isolate a single difficulty. From age 6, children need to discuss, exchange ideas, and think as a group to develop socially, which is why presentations are given in small groups. This allows them to question things, develop their own judgment and ideas, and explore both their physical and intellectual abilities.

The pedagogical principle developed by Maria Montessori for children aged 6 to 12 is called cosmic education—an education about the universe and through the universe, guided by intellectual exploration. At this age, children develop imagination and the transition to abstraction. Curious by nature, they seek to understand the world around them, society, the universe… They ask countless questions: why? how? when? Their reasoning mind needs to be exercised in an expanded environment, both intellectually (cosmic education) and physically (the classroom and the outside world).

Activities offered

Just like in the preschool class, children in the elementary class continue to work with hands-on sensory materials that demand physical coordination and attention, guiding them toward abstraction. Classes are fully bilingual: presentations are given to small groups of children in both French and English. The curriculum revolves around the Five Great Lessons presented at the beginning of the year: the creation of the Earth, the coming of life (plants and animals), human life, language and writing, and mathematics and sciences.

Our priority is for every child to master the foundations of French and English (reading and writing) and mathematics (counting, calculating). All subjects are covered: mathematics, geometry, language (literature, writing, reading, word study and grammar…), physical and political geography, sciences, history (of nature, humanity, and the concept of time), biology—botany, zoology, and ecology—, music, and the arts (drawing, painting, music, drama).

Each week, the children take part in a physical education session with a qualified coach: swimming or team sports at parc Montcalm. Every day during recess, they enjoy free play and gardening in the schoolyard.

A cozy reading corner is set up in the classroom: a wide selection of books in French and English, including encyclopedias and dictionaries, is available to the children to nurture a love of reading and support their research projects.

The environment

The working environment must:

• be designed for children to work collaboratively, whereas the 3–6 environment favors individual work: large tables for working together, materials and activities crafted to encourage role sharing and task division, and modular furniture that adapts to the children's various projects. Children can settle wherever they like, at a table or on a floor mat, depending on the task chosen.
• be orderly: each subject has a designated place in the classroom, and materials are arranged in a logical sequence that lets children visualize their progress while motivating them to discover what comes next. A cubby space is provided so everyone can neatly store their notebooks and work.
• foster conversation, respectful communication, and team spirit. At the start of the year, the children reflect together, ask questions, and draft their classroom community guidelines. This collaborative work helps them build strong bonds right from the very first days of school.

The role of the educator

The French- and English-speaking duo works in close collaboration to:

• guide children toward independence—doing things on their own—while adapting to and honoring each child's rhythm
• give presentations in small groups across all subjects; after each lesson, the educator invites children into individual or group work to consolidate and deepen their understanding
• spark curiosity, interest, and a sense of wonder in every child
• pass on foundational academic skills and a broad, rich general knowledge