The Elementary Environment

At about 6 years old, the child enters the second plane of development, moving from the absorbent mind of the first plane of development to the reasoning mind. The materials in the Elementary Montessori classroom reflect this growth in development.

It is during this phase that children develop logical thinking skills. In contrast to the phase of the absorbent mind, where learning seemed to happen nearly automatically through exposure and experience, the reasoning mind needs to think and consciously study in order to experience the learning process. In the first plane, the children strive for physical independence, the children in the second plane now strive for intellectual independence, as well as the formation of moral sense and social organization.

Dr. Montessori identified three developmental drives in the elementary years. First, the child develops an insatiable appetite for facts; she referred to this stage as “the age of Intellect.” Second, the child enters a period of moral formation, at which point the child begins to ask questions about right and wrong. Third, the child’s imagination becomes his or her most powerful learning tool. To meet the second plane child’s needs, topics are presented as general overarching stories into which the students delve for the details. The Atrium of the Elementary classroom expands on the themes of the Primary, studying Liturgy and Scripture, the geography of Israel, moral parables, and maxims, and includes Sacrament Preparation.