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Lewis and Clark Montessori Charter School provides a Montessori Curriculum which encompasses project-based instruction; collaborative, interactive and self-directed learning; cross-age tutoring; experimental learning; field trips, demonstrations, performances; and direct instruction individually and in small groups.
The Montessori approach that distinguishes this school are :
Individualized, Differentiated Learning - Montessori Education is built upon the tenet that the learners are individuals, in style, pace, and interests. Individualized curricula allows children to strive for their own personal best.
Mixed-age Groupings - Students are be grouped into mixed-age classes that span three years in the elementary program and two years in the middle school program. These mixed-age classrooms provide numerous benefits including a greater range of curriculum options and reduced competition. Older children share their knowledge with younger children which builds confidence and competence. Peer tutoring also promotes cooperation and a sense of community.
Prepared Environment - Montessori instruction progresses from concrete explorations and concept development to abstract understandings. Elementary classrooms have an abundance of carefully sequenced Montessori materials to support this learning progression.
Parent Involvement - Parents are be welcome at Lewis and Clark Montessori and will be given many opportunities for participating in and setting the direction of school life. In conjunction with teachers and students, parents provide input to, and important feedback on, the Individual Learning Agreements and weekly work plans including a commitment to doing their part at home to ensure their children's success.
Teacher's Role - Teachers facilitate learning by carefully observing each child's behaviour and growth, then guiding each child using changes in the environment, invitations for inquiry and direct instruction. Teachers work to create and sustain a classroom and school culture where demonstrations of respect, initiative, risk-taking and persistence in learning are the norm.
Community Connection - As children grow, they learn in and contribute to increasingly expansive and diverse human and environmental communities. Students first come to understand the world and their part in it by discovering community within the classroom, then by contributing to the life of the school and caring for the surrounding plant and animal habitats, and finally by supporting the improvement of the larger community beyond the school. As a result, community service and learning will be an important part of the curriculum culminating in the fully developed individual.
Learn more about Montessori -
The following resources provide more information on Montessori Elementary Education.
Public School Montessorian
www.jola-montessori.com
American Montessori Association
www.amshq.org/schools_public.htm
Association Montessori Internationale
www.montessori-ami.org
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