Elementary children have a strong need to interact with other children.  They are not required to sit at desks and work alone; they usually work together in small groups.

Elementary children are very very interested in morality and in what the social group considers to be right and wrong. Conflict resolution is part of learning.

Working collaboratively, they cooperate with each other as they plan together, disagree respectfully, delegate responsibilities—use life skills!

Elementary children use their imaginations and their ability to reason as tools for the exploration of the world and the universe.

The work, built upon the foundation laid in the Primary room, directs the children toward abstraction.

The Elementary children continue to develop along their individual paths. The room is child-centered, not adult-centered.

The teacher tells the class impressionistic and scientific stories that present the big picture—social studies and science, history, language, mathematics—giving the children an awareness of the interdependence of humankind and nature.  Then the children explore!

The children are often inspired by each other—one child’s interest in a subject might spark another’s.

Because of the multi-age classroom, differences in ability and achievement are the norm.

The Elementary children have opportunities for helping the younger children in our school community.  They are our school leaders.

The Elementary children love working and playing outdoors.

When they leave the Elementary classroom, the children transition well into other schools.

They have a solid foundation in all academic areas with a depth of understanding that comes from hands-on-learning.

They are problem-solvers, easily adaptable to new situations, with a knowledge of how to work well with others.

And they have a life long love of learning.