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The Second Plane of Development:
According to Maria Montessori, humans progress through 4 stages of development from childhood to adulthood. She grouped these “planes of development by age brackets: 3-6 year olds, 6-12 year olds, 12-18 year olds and 18-24 year olds. The elementary child has progressed through the first plane of development and will experience different physical, emotional and mental changes in their second plane of development.
LOWER ELEMENTARY program (Ages 6 - 9)
“The child is also a worker and a producer. Although he cannot share in the work of adults, he has his own difficult and important task to perform, that of producing a man.” (Maria Montessori). Respect, responsibility and resourcefulness are the three areas that children take from the casa program into the elementary program and further build on and refine. Children are also questioning and wondering in the why and the how. The children carry with them the growth from casa in each of the five areas, and continue to build and enhance their knowledge to unlimited levels. The Montessori materials in elementary continue to be exposed to the children always capturing their curiosity and passion to want to learn. The possibility is given to children to ultimately learn in an environment where children continue to be responsible for themselves and for others, respecting the environment and working in a peaceful atmosphere. Lessons are taught either individually or in group format, always moving at the child’s pace of learning.
Maria Montessori believed that the Elementary Classroom should cater to the needs of the child at the second plane of development. The Elementary classroom is an extension of the Casa classroom so the child is familiar with certain materials and classroom methodologies. The children continue to make independent work choices and caring for their environment.
areas of development in the Second Plane
Morality: “But that’s not fair mommy!” “You’re not allowed to do that! I’m telling!” Sound familiar? There is a logical explanation why we as teachers and parents of 6-9 year olds must deal with the ever-so dreaded “tattle tale.” When a child reaches the lower Elementary classroom, he enters a new stage of development- one that involves a particular inner sensitivity, the conscience. They begin to see actions as right or wrong, fair or unfair. They begin to question why some things are considered wrong. Morality and how they can make the world a better place plays a strong role in their lives. As a result, the Elementary Classroom will explore issues such as war, violence, poverty and the homeless and how people can make a difference. We gather food, clothing, raise money for charities and sponsor less fortunate children in third-world countries. If the children know that they have contributed and are made to feel that any small contribution will make a difference, then they will feel good inside.Imagination: Furthermore, the Elementary child has great powers of imagination. The Elementary environment will appeal to the imagination through fairy tales, myths and fables. The materials appeal to the Elementary child as well. Lessons such as the Timeline of Life in History, the Creation Story in Geography and the main function of the root in Botany are taught using charts and diagrams that allow the child to visually explore that concept that they are learning.
Social: Children in Elementary are Social beings. Where Casa children are egocentric, Elementary children want to socialize and feel a part of a group. As a result, the classroom caters to this characteristic of their development by encouraging social interaction to a certain degree. We do not permit the children to spend great amounts of time chatting about their social activities; however we also do not want to stunt the child’s natural developmental progression. Children are not required to sit in one assigned seat for the entire school year. We promote small group activities and projects. Children take on roles in their groups and solve problems independently amongst themselves. This collaborative learning fosters independence and team work.
The Lower Elementary Curriculum
Mathematics: The continuous passage from concrete to abstract allows the children in elementary to further their understanding and strengthen their knowledge of mathematical concepts. Fractions, decimals, multiples and factors, powers and percentages are but a few of the areas that children learn about and are able to apply to the world around them. Geometry is also expanded upon and becomes an integral unit on its own where children explore the studies of angles, lines, shapes, and various mathematical theories.Language: The children begin to focus their energies on research and writing skills. Creative writing continues to flourish and children participate in sharing their stories, partake in plays and discovering the wonder of poetry. Books are an integral part of the language program and are used for many purposes. Primarily for research and also for the enjoyment of ready.
Culture: Biology, botany, zoology, science, history and geography are the core subjects that children explore in the area of Culture. Each subject focuses on many different themes where children learn how to develop their research skills, interpret and record them. There is also a development in language as children are given the opportunity to share their findings with their peers and strengthen their vocabulary in the process through presentation like demonstrations.