.png)
AGES 9-12
Upper Elementary
Provides students with an engaging Montessori-inspired education that builds independence, critical thinking, and a love of learning.
Areas of Study
Language
Math
Science
History
Writing
Music
Practical Life
Drama
Art
Project Work
Willow Classroom
In the Willow classroom, children in 4th through 6th grade deepen their academic foundation through a blend of Montessori materials, collaborative projects, and independent work cycles. With guidance from experienced teachers, students engage in meaningful lessons that balance concrete exploration with abstract reasoning, while also developing responsibility, organization, and leadership skills. Parents and teachers work together to support each child’s progress, creating a strong partnership that encourages curiosity, creativity, and confidence as students prepare for middle school.
Course Descriptions
MATH 4TH & 5TH
Singapore Math will be the required curriculum in Willow. This curriculum focuses on a three-step learning process: concrete, pictorial, and abstract. Students will be taught in small groups in a classroom filled with Montessori math manipulatives. Each day, they will be provided with many opportunities for talking about math with their peers and hands-on games and activities to deepen their conceptual understanding of the day’s lessons. There will be assignments on Friday and Monday for children to complete before the following class on Tuesday.
READING DETECTIVES
During the Reading Detective block, students will have the opportunity to read a wide range of texts, both fiction and nonfiction, including poetry, essays, novels, short stories, and current events. Explicit reading strategies will be taught through mini-lessons with opportunity for application through independent practice. Questioning, inferring, and summarizing are just a few of the authentic reading practices we will focus on during this time. Another important piece of this block will be teaching skills for vocabulary acquisition that can be applied across all subjects. More than anything, we want learners to love reading, so they will be included in the text selection process.
COLLABORATIVE WORK CYCLE & PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge. Each project will vary in length depending on the process, and could last from a week to a whole semester. The process is almost completely student-driven with the teacher acting as a facilitator. To do this work, students will need to develop a strong culture built on collaboration, open communication, critical thinking, and creativity. As research shows, these are the most important skills to prepare our students for an ever-changing world.
INDEPENDENT
WORK
CYCLE
This is an extended period of time where children are free to choose and engage with materials in the prepared environment at their own pace. Some weeks, this may be extra time for project work, others it may be having an expert-in-residence related to our learning, or it could even be a chance to seek additional teacher support for content-area skills. This time provides students with a chance to develop personal responsibility and stronger executive functioning skills (time management, organization, goal setting, etc.). Learners will have a chance to self-reflect and participate in a bi-weekly conference with a guide during this time.
WRITING THROUGH HISTORY
We teach history in a three-year rotating cycle which includes US History, World History, and South Carolina History to prepare learners for Middle School Social Studies. As a part of this block, we will offer learners the chance for historical exploration through authentic writing experiences. For example, students might write a speech for a Civil Rights Movement leader, a journal entry in the style of Anne Frank, or a persuasive letter to get a friend to accompany them on the Oregon Trail. This time is devoted to content-area writing rather than the explicit instruction of the writing process, including grammar and conventions, which will be covered in the recommended Essentials in Writing curriculum. Students needing advanced writing opportunities may go to Middle School Writing during the second half of this block.
History Rotation
2025-2026
US History​​
2026-2027
World History​​
2027-2028
SC History​​