All three of my kids love to learn. I attribute this love to the Montessori style approach to exposing children to new things in a nurturing, supportive, developmentally appropriate fashion. The Bergamo Elementary program offers your child an unparalleled opportunity for growth in this new period of life. Your imaginative, social and creative child needs an environment with appropriate freedom and limitations, with an expansive curriculum to support her curiosity and prepare her for the challenges of the future.
Your child will study both broadly and deeply, covering many subjects not attempted in conventional schools. Because there is not a rigid schedule or prescribed curriculum that the whole class must follow, your child can focus intensely on her self-chosen work, with minimal interruption.
At the same time, she will collaborate with the teacher to ensure that her work is challenging and purposeful β and that basic standards are met. In that way, the teacher is in charge of the minimum scope of work β your child is in charge of the maximum. Instead, our teachers have a broad knowledge of all subjects areas β more than enough to help your child discover interests in any area imaginable and challenge her to deepen the field of study through research.
Instead of giving the right answers, the teacher will ask your child the right questions to inspire her to find the answers for herself. Your elementary age child has a strong drive for social connection. She is starting to develop deeper friendships and a connection to the community around her. Why then, would we want her to learn in rows of desks, confined to a chair, while the teacher lectures the class as a group? In a Montessori elementary program, children help children before adults help children, resulting in teamwork, independence and a true learning community.
We want the children to be comfortable navigating the world, not just our classroom. So, we have a few excellent books, but not everything there is to read about a topic. A Going Out is a planned undertaking by a small group of children. They find a resource in the community, schedule the outing, arrange for their own transportation and supervision by staff or parent volunteers , prepare themselves for the experience and conduct themselves with dignity while out in public.
