008: Early Childhood vs. Elementary Montessori Classrooms: How and Why They Differ

When most people think of the Montessori classroom, they envision three- to six-year-olds. And while early childhood education is an important part of the Montessori method, it doesn’t stop there. The elementary classroom environment is very different from that of early childhood, and for very good reasons.In this episode, we’re talking about how the early childhood and elementary Montessori classrooms differ. We’re breaking down the differences in environment, structure, and community and explaining how these differences directly correlate with the stages of development. Plus, we’re sharing how you can foster independence and curiosity with both age groups.What’s in this episode:How the Montessori elementary environment differs from the early childhood environmentWhy these differences are vital to students’ development and learningWhy collaborative work is so important for elementary childrenHow elementary children can practice gathering their own materialsWhy teach young children about the world and elementary students about the entire universeWhy elementary students seek variety and big work in repetition of conceptsHow to foster independence for students in different age groupsFor full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit trilliummontessori.org/podcastResources Mentioned in This EpisodeExplore the Montessori Principles to Practice Webinar LibrariesConnect With UsVisit our websiteFollow us on InstagramConnect with us on FacebookThe Montessori Classroom Bootcamps will be open for enrollment July 21-29. Classes begin August 1.Elementary Classroom Planning Bootcamp for 6-12 with Letty RisingClassroom Setup Bootcamp for 3-6 with Seemi Abdullah