ELC Program Information

Key Components of the ELC Montessori Classes

Assessment and Progress Monitoring

There are no grades or other forms of reward or punishment. Assessment is done through documented obserations, teacher record keeping and work samples. Each child's progress is monitored and reported to families with mid-term reports, quarterly IEP progress monitoring reports and quarterly standards based report cards. Teachers communicate with families through regular notes home, email, phone calls, texts, newsletters and parent conferences. If you have a question about your child's progress, activities, interests, etc. please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher to discuss your concerns. 

Lessons of Grace and Courtesy / Character Education

Education of character and academic education are equally important. In our Montessori classrooms, the children are regulary and specificaly taught lessons in grace and courtesy. This includes theaching the children greetings, how to move in the classroom, how to join or interrupt a conversation, how to sit and pay attention, how to walk in a line, prepareing and serving food to others, saying please and thank you, etc. Above all, teachers model respect for others and the children model respect for each other.

The Prepared Environment

Montessori classrooms are referred to as the prepared environment. The prepared environment is a meaningfully structured learning space where everything has a purpose and a place. Furniture is light and child-sized, learning materials are designed to fit in children's hands, and everything is designed to be open and accessible. In our Montessori classrooms, the children work at child-sized tables or on mats on the floor. The walls are decorated with framed photos of art masterpieces, photos of children or artwork created by the students. There are well-defined spaces for each part of the primary curriculum which include: Language, Math, Practical Life, Sensorial, Cosmic Ed (Science and Social Studies) and Pre-Literacy. Each curricular area features shelves and/or tables with a variety of inviting materials from which students can choose.  There is a Peace Corner devoted to peace and reflection where children can go for some quiet time. Ther are also places to curl up with books where a child can read or be read to. 

Montessori Learning Materials

Children in the ELC manipulate and investigate spcially designed materials.  The materials are beautifully created and displayed on oapen, easily accessible shelves. They are arranged in order of their sequence in the curriculum from the simplest to the most complex. 

Each material teaches a single skill or concept at a time. Many of the materials have a "control of error" built in that provides the child with a way of assessing his/her progress and and helps him/her to independently correct errors.  

Concrete materials are used to introduce concepts that become increasingly complex. As the students progress, the teacher replaces some materials with others, ensuring that the level of challenge continues to meet the needs of all children.