Montessori Pathways School is excited to announce the opening of our Lower Elementary Program for ages 6-9!

     The class will be led by Matt Rafacz, who holds an AMS Elementary Montessori Accreditation, an Elementary Teaching Certificate, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education and Psychology.

     Children of the lower elementary age are striving for intellectual independence and trying to satisfy their curiosity and excitement for learning. The Montessori classroom allows them to do just that. Rather than taking a step back to the basics and waiting for their peers to catch up, students of the Montessori class are able to progress as their own pace, discovering the world around them and focusing their varying interests appropriately.

The Montessori Lower Elementary curriculum not only meets the Illinois State Board of Education requirements, but allows each child to progress even further, for the three years allow for unlimited possibilities in discovery and research. The multi-age class creates a unique environment where the children have a chance to solve problems or conflicts successfully on their own, which allows them the flexibility of mind necessary for our ever-changing world.

Practical Life, Language, Math, Geometry, Botany, Zoology, Geography and History areas are available for children to access at all times, with materials that gradually lead the child from a concrete to an abstract understanding of the fundamental concepts in each area. Children are able to identify, classify, and research these fascinating concepts, which forego route memorization for understanding and recall.

Montessori Pathways also offers an enrichment program, which consists of Spanish, Art, Music Development, Gym, Drama, Dance, Food Preparation, and Gardening, allowing the children to expand their knowledge into the real world as well.

Beginning in their Kindergarten year, students keep a record of their own work via a weekly plan for presentations. This allows the child freedom of choice while also maintaining a curriculum, letting the directress see which presentations have been done and which are still needed.

An elementary Montessori classroom is a warm community: a multi-age, stimulating environment with highly trained teachers and materials that invite exploration and research. Children learn to face challenges with confidence, and begin to find their own place in the world around them.