Upper Elementary Students on Couch

Shelton admits learning-different students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin in the administration of our educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Montessori in Upper Elementary

Upper Elementary Girl with Montessori Materials

Dr. Maria Montessori, the first woman in Italy to become a physician, founded the Montessori Method of education in 1907. She based her educational methods on scientific observation of children's learning processes. Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading. Students in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. Montessori is a global, international method of learning that has maintained it’s integrity, validity, and reliability for over 100 years.

In Upper Elementary, at the Elementary level (3rd/4th grade), Shelton employs the Montessori Method in accordance with our curriculum and the developmental, remediation needs of our students. The Montessori Method is the perfect match for students with learning differences!

Following are 4 of the tenants of the Montessori Method:

  • individualization of lessons - students get what they need, which is sometimes not allowed for in group instruction
  • encouragement and allowance for repetition and self pacing - this element is critical and necessary in remediation; no longer simply “moving on” because it is "time" and leaving students behind with gaps in their education
  • hands on materials that use all senses in learning - strengthening the senses that have perceptual weaknesses and maximizing the use of the strong senses and learning style
  • seeks to advance learning beyond standard areas of curriculum - when using hands on materials, the difficulty of learning higher level concepts is ameliorated and the student can pursue their areas of keen interest, curiosity, and strength

Shelton is able to fulfill its mission of making a difference by serving and empowering the lives of students who learn differently through Montessori teaching methods.