Elementary
Students age 6–12 years old cultivate their imagination and focus on intellectual independence, ethics, and social responsibility.
Children learn in mixed-age classrooms: Lower Elementary (Grades 1–3) and Upper Elementary (Grades 4–6). We start each year off with the Great Lessons, exploring the origins of the world, sparking imagination, and creating a framework through which students learn core academic subjects.
In Lower Elementary, students begin to move beyond what and why to how. Working to move from concrete to abstract thought, this age seeks to make sense of facts and ideas they are encountering in the world. Children receive small group and individual lessons and learn to plan their daily schedule. Collaborative work allows children to learn to respect the ideas, thoughts, and opinions of others.
In Upper Elementary, children continue to learn abstraction and there is an increased importance placed on morality, justice, and social interactions. This is honored by offering more collaborative projects, allowing for lessons in independence, cooperation, and peer relationships. In this level, we continue small group and one-on-one lessons, and students plan their daily schedule in one-week increments. Each year of this level includes Special Projects that allow children to further explore their own community and interests: Collections, MEA FAMILIA, and Integrated Passion Project.
Elementary Level Curriculum
