Elementary
Each of the six Elementary classrooms has two full-time teachers, and sometimes an intern, for no more than 25 students. The Elementary program is divided into two sections: Lower elementary (grades 1-3) and Upper Elementary (grades 4-6). There are three classrooms in each section, and each classroom combines all three grades. This multi-age grouping, one of the key features of Montessori education, allows children to progress at their own pace in both social and academic areas and to both learn from, and help, one another. The Elementary program builds on the Early Childhood experience, with the same uninterrupted work periods and the child's own questions providing the basis for exploration of the world.
The richly integrated Montessori Elementary curriculum includes the "Great Lessons," a series of five stories dramatizing broad themes from human history and the physical world. The unifying nature of the Montessori curriculum means that learning is never compartmentalized; it continues to be integrated for the child, always interconnected with other subjects in a growing tapestry of knowledge. Our students do compelling work on early literacy by learning to think like writers, and learn math through rich, hands-on, sequenced materials.
BMS Elementary students do not receive letter grades. Instead, our teachers write detailed reports based on their close observations and the students' work, and meet with parents personally to discuss their child's progress. Please contact us for more information on our Elementary program.
