Grades 1-3  |  Monday-Friday 8:20 am - 3:00 pm

MCHD’s lower elementary program is comprised of children in grades 1-3. Each classroom has up to 20 students, balanced according to age and gender. Classes run from 8:20 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with an hour break at noon for lunch and outdoor play. Characteristic of the Montessori model, students remain in the same classroom for three consecutive years.

The younger Elementary student is beginning to move from the concrete to abstraction, and from a limited world view to inquiry into the big questions of life, with a curiosity about time, relationships, and the variety and splendor of the world. The “Great Lessons” in biology, history, astronomy, botany, zoology, and evolution satisfy this curiosity, and form the backbone of the curriculum at this age. Work in mathematics, language, geometry, remains experiential. Students get daily exercise in spelling, handwriting, grammar, and computational accuracy. Children begin to take responsibility for their weekly work plan, building judgment, and time-management and resource skills. Traditional academic studies continue to be individually adjusted to the student’s proficiency and sequenced for uninterrupted progression, providing appropriate activities for both the child who needs extra support and the child who advances rapidly with independence.

Download the Lower Elementary Curriculum