Elementary School FAQ: What You Should Know About Montessori for Grades 1-6

Guest Author

Jenna Wawrzyniec, founder Holding Space Montessori

Jenna is a mom of three and founder of Holding Space Montessori, where she partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. You can follow her musings on Instagram @holdingspacemontessori

What You Should Know About Elementary Montessori Schools

For those drawn to alternative education, where character development is just as valued as math facts, it can be exciting to discover that Montessori extends beyond preschool and kindergarten. As one of the world’s largest alternative education paths, there are 22,000 Montessori schools and counting – majority of which focus on early and middle childhood, covering ages 3-6 and 6-12. Lesser available but growing, Montessori is increasingly expanding for infant/toddler care as well as high school. 

It’s a time-tested, century-old model that is proving to be even more relevant as the unknowns of technology and artificial intelligence expand. How can we prepare our children for a future we can barely imagine ourselves? We can ground ourselves in what we do know: an education that cultivates critical thinking, creativity, and perseverance alongside emotional intelligence is a solid investment. These are all traits Montessori works to instill in the earliest years well through adulthood. 

So, what’s the scoop on Montessori Elementary? Below, we’ll candidly cover some of the most frequently asked questions about this path.  

Is it all life skills, or is there an academic core? 

Montessori is known for offering life skills, but this is not a rejection of academic rigor. In fact, this balance is what makes Montessori known as “the third option”— it embraces holistic development while still deeply valuing academic depth. It’s not play-based, nor is it traditional. It’s somewhere in the middle. 

The founder of the method, Dr. Maria Montessori, was a physician, educator, humanitarian, and scientist. She took a deeply scientific approach to creating this method in a way that adapts teaching to the child’s development—rather than starting with a set of adult goals and hoping children could keep up. By elementary, she found that ages 6-12 were a prime time for rich academics! Because of this timeliness, you’ll see a curriculum in Montessori Elementary that is robust, intellectually challenging, and awe-inspiring. 

Tell me more about these “rich academics.” What does the curriculum look like? 

It is known as “Cosmic Curriculum,” which is symbolic of how Montessori Elementary aims to “give children the keys to the universe.” Behind the poetic language, here’s what you should know: children ages 6 to 12 are shifting from wanting to work independently to becoming more socially driven. They’re also moving from a concrete, “just the facts” way of thinking toward one that’s increasingly abstract and imaginative. Those early “I did it myself!” moments are turning more into a drive towards: “Help me think for myself.” 

A high-fidelity Montessori Elementary program will nurture this shift by offering lessons, presentations, and learning materials that spark their booming curiosity and mental independence. Core academics will cover: 

• Math: Montessori Math is known for having a solid emphasis on Geometry, since it is the foundation for all mathematical understanding. 
• Language: where you can still find cursive and explicit grammar instruction.
• Cultural Studies: which encompass things like zoology, botany, geography, history, science, biology. 
• Practical Life and social-emotional skills: Montessori elementary students study virtues and values, practice conflict-resolution, and are given explicit opportunities to take on classroom and school jobs that continue to build responsibility, care for the environment, and care for others. When you enter the classroom as a guest, they may greet you and serve you tea or lemon water and cookies as just one of countless ways they practice social courtesies!

What are the Great Lessons? 

As part of the Elementary Cosmic Curriculum, The Great Lessons are a unique set of five presentations given annually between Grade 1 and 6, going a little deeper each time. They serve as awe-inspiring big-picture presentations that kick off interdisciplinary learning for the year. The five Great Lessons are: 

1. Life Comes to Earth
2. Humans Come to Earth
3. How Writing Began
4. How Numbers Began 
5. The Coming of the Universe 

How exactly does Montessori elementary differ from traditional elementary?

The way in which knowledge is exchanged is very different.

• First, the role of the teacher: she is a guide. Instead of commanding the front of the room with scheduled whole-group lessons, she prepares the learning environment with materials that students use independently, either on the floor or at tables. 
• While students begin choosing their work during a long, multi-hour work period, the guides (there are usually two) circulate the classroom to tailor, observe, assess, and support. It’s important to understand: Montessori Guides still give explicit presentations, but often in small groups or 1:1. Jonny might get a lesson on division while Nora and Emmalee then get a lesson on money work, while Vik then gets a lesson on nouns. Students can work independently or with others.

Is it too much freedom to offer students a choice of work? What if they never pick language work? 

The Montessori method is not just the materials and the children; It is the materials, the children, and the support of the guides. Further, it is not just “anything goes,” it is “freedom within limits.” Guides are meticulously trained to inspire learning and to help children make deeper connections, especially in areas where they may need a little boost. Plus, because of how beautifully prepared the classrooms are – utilizing the psychology behind what captures attention, promotes focus and concentration – children love to work in these intentional conditions! 

Does Montessori still use hands-on materials for Grades 1-6? 

Absolutely—because children in this age range still learn best when learning is hands-on, provides sensorial feedback, and incorporates movement. It’s not that you’ll never see worksheets or even light quizzes as they gradually move toward abstraction of knowledge, but learning is active, not passive. 

When you hear about Montessori prioritizing movement, understand that movement is built into the learning materials, activities, and overall flow and functionality of the classroom. Movement in Montessori is not just regarded as a “break” or “recess.” It’s continual! 

Is it still mixed-age? 

Yes, Montessori adheres to three-year groupings, and these groupings match times in development when children share traits and needs. Two of the biggest benefits of mixed-age learning are:

1. Social interaction is more diverse, natural, and reflective of the real world. 
2. Classrooms are collaborative rather than competitive. Children don’t feel pressured to progress at the same rate simply because they’re the same age. Instead, it becomes normal to work at your own pace and to take joy in both learning from and mentoring peers.

Montessori Lower Elementary houses students in Grades 1, 2 and 3. 

Montessori Upper Elementary houses students in Grades 4, 5, and 6. 

In the same way that Montessori Kindergarten serves as the “leadership year” within the mixed-age Primary classroom, third and sixth grades are also leadership years. Families often find these years especially valuable for an only child, who may not have the experience of mentoring younger siblings at home, or for younger siblings who are usually the ones being led by the eldest. Finally, they get to step up and be the oldest in a room!

Is it true that there is no quizzing, grading, or testing? How does assessment happen?

Montessori elementary classrooms tend to have minimal homework and quizzing because the structure of the Montessori school day allows for assessment and practice to happen real time, during the school day itself. This significantly reduces the need for follow-up work and can be a huge draw for families interested in after school hobbies, extracurriculars, and old-fashioned play. 

Schools may have different state requirements for testing. But overall, Montessori schools set the tone that students are more than test scores. State testing, when implemented for students in Montessori, is often low-pressure and viewed as a chance to give kids the practical life skills of test taking; something they’ll eventually encounter in higher education. 

Is there any data on outcomes of Montessori? 

Yes, Montessori students tend to do well in areas of executive functioning, which we know supports academic and life success. A recent, high-quality meta analysis found that Montessori students outperformed peers in traditional settings both academically and non-academically. 

One caveat: Montessori is not trademarked, and so any school can claim that it nurtures these strong educational outcomes just for fancy marketing purposes. Be sure to connect with a program that has Montessori-certified educators, adheres to the three-year groupings, and has the full scope and sequence of materials and curriculum. 

In sum, Montessori Elementary is a rigorous, yet deeply respectful and child-centered choice. Families who choose it tend to value learning, child development, and independence. They want their children to gain knowledge in a way that fosters comprehension, mastery, emotional intelligence, and a genuine sense of purpose and place—not simply to pass a grade.

By Jenna Wawrzyniec

Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She is the founder of Holding Space Montessori, where she partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. Her three children also attend a Montessori school, where she’s had firsthand experience navigating Montessori from infancy through Upper Elementary. You can follow her musings on Instagram @holdingspacemontessori.