6-9 years
Elementary level
« Help me to think for myself »
“In this intellectual phase, a child’s questions are countless. He wants to know everything. His thirst for knowledge is so insatiable that people generally don’t know what to do; that’s why they mainly choose the easiest way and force the child to be silent and learn only what adults consider useful for him. But by doing so, we also destroy his spontaneous interest. Learning then becomes a tedious task.”
At Montessori School 3 12 Geneva, the 6-9 year old class supports children through a pivotal stage of their development. After the foundations laid in the Children’s House, they enter an age where their need to understand the world becomes immense. They are no longer content with simply observing or manipulating objects: they want to connect, question, reason, and discover what lies behind things.
The prepared environment responds to this new dynamic. It opens the child to a wider field of exploration, where learning takes on meaning through grand narratives, experiments, research, and projects. The materials then become a concrete support to nurture the imagination, support reflection, and accompany the gradual access to abstraction.
In the 6-9 class, children also learn with others. Working in small groups, sharing, helping each other, and discussing are an integral part of their daily routine. They gradually discover how to cooperate, listen to different points of view, defend an idea, and build together.
This period is a true bridge between childhood, centered on immediate experience, and a wider, more social and intellectual world. During this time, the child develops their curiosity, autonomy, moral sense, and ability to think for themselves.
Learning is organized around different areas that allow the child to explore the world, structure their thinking, and make sense of what they discover. The curriculum places the child at the center of a network of knowledge where the different areas are not presented as independent disciplines but as interconnected subjects.
The curriculum (see diagram) places the child at the center of a network of knowledge where different areas are not presented as independent disciplines but as interconnected subjects. A core of grand narratives, spanning time and space, paves the way for the exploration of the details presented in the lessons, each offering a “key” to the different areas of study. The Montessori materials presented in the lessons provide a concrete way to explore abstract concepts , thus encouraging the development of the child’s imagination and abstract reasoning skills.
The educator’s task is to “plant seeds” in order to invite this formidable intellect to explore and understand many concepts, to give it the freedom to engage in great works and to achieve personal satisfaction.
The big lessons
At the beginning of the 6-12 cycle, learning is organized around five major foundational lessons. These stories, given at the beginning of the year, offer the child a comprehensive and coherent view of the world.
Through lively stories, enriched with experiments, demonstrations and visual aids, the educator introduces the major areas of knowledge: the universe, life, human beings, language, mathematics and science.
These five “big stories” each open up a new field of exploration: geography, history, language, mathematics, geometry, and biology. The educator ensures that each child addresses all points of the curriculum through research, activities, and personal or group projects.
Each major lesson acts as a gateway. It sparks wonder, awakens curiosity, and inspires a desire to explore further. Children find avenues for exploration within these lessons, which they then develop at their own pace.
Over the years, these stories take on a new depth: the child returns to them with a different perspective, enriched by their experience and maturity.
Research outings
The Montessori classroom extends beyond the classroom walls into society and nature: the field trip is the cornerstone of Montessori primary education. These field trips differ from class outings initiated by adults: they are planned, organized, and sometimes funded by a child or a small group of children, based on a specific interest.
A research trip offers not only opportunities for intellectual stimulation, but also opportunities for critical thinking and decision-making, as well as the development of grace and courtesy skills in society at large.
Creativity
The Montessori educator consciously works to create an environment where all areas of the curriculum are valued equally. The insights provided during the presentations lay the foundation for the development of creativity and give children the tools and context to nurture their developing imaginations.
Free from a schedule set by others, from worksheets or homework, the child can explore their new skills at any time of day and integrate them into their work: creating art, writing a story, or staging a play. Art and music are expressed within the prepared Montessori environment and constitute natural extensions that enrich and broaden classroom work.
Come and discover our Montessori school for 3-12 year olds!
Contact us for more information or to arrange a visit: infos@montessori312.ch