Organized, vibrant, natural and meticulously prepared--the elementary learning environments at Brookview Montessori School are specifically designed to meet the blossoming developmental needs of the six to twelve-year old child. On any one day, a stroll through the classroom reveals children working on map making, illustrating geometric terms, doing animal research, music composition, or even long division. They work, individually or in a social grouping, using hands-on materials in each integrated subject area. Interest and curiosity drive the exploration of ideas through materials that progress from very concrete to more abstract. This progression, found in all Montessori classrooms, is a hallmark of the philosophy of education at Brookview. Elementary students at Brookview are actively engaged learners and challenged to view the world through the lens of global understanding, human purpose and the interconnectedness of life.
A Brookview education addresses the whole child—the social, physical, emotional, as well as the academic aspects of his or her development. Critical thinking occurs through conversation with adults and personal exploration. Children practice respect, time management, conflict resolution, safety measures, physical fitness, grace & courtesy, and help maintain their classrooms and school grounds. Over time, the child naturally develops leadership skills and self-confidence. The academic curriculum is organized in such a way as to initially provide big-picture context and strike the imagination, followed by systematic unfolding of lessons in the subject areas of language arts, Spanish, the arts, zoology & botany, earth science, physics, chemistry, arithmetic, geography, history, geometry, and world cultures. Children participate in literature circle groups, team sports, field trips, theater productions, music classes, care of pets, group sing-a-longs, and various special courses and activities which take advantage of the magnificent natural surroundings on the Brookview campus.
Lower Elementary Years
Children ages six through nine work side by side in the multi-age lower elementary classroom. Roughly equivalent to first – third grade, lower elementary at Brookview serves children in the second plane of development, a time of enhanced social interaction, expanding awareness, developing basic skills, responsibility, curiosity, and developing work ethic. These children experience an awakening of imagination that stems from five epic stories told to introduce the beginning of the universe, the coming of life on earth, the development of humanity, language and mathematics. From these points of origin all lessons are derived, lending meaning and structure to the interconnected and challenging curriculum.
Upper Elementary Years
Children ages nine through twelve, or roughly equivalent to grades four – six, expand on the knowledge gleaned in lower elementary. Prepared with a robust skill set, independence, and global awareness, these students are poised to delve into abstract concepts and complex work. The upper elementary student is an active participant in studies such as great early civilizations, environmental sustainability, square and cube root, sentence analysis, animal classification, service learning, volume of a cylinder, or the study of the African savanna. Children apply knowledge from the early elementary years to accomplish larger scale, challenging academic investigation, which prepares them for the advanced learning of middle school and beyond.
