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Elementary-aged children are typically characterized by their curious minds, their ability to think abstractly and use their imagination, their moral and social awareness, and their energy for inquiry and exploration. Elementary students work in small, mixed-age groups on a variety of projects that stimulate the imagination, engage the intellect, and develop their reasoning skills.
Elementary school studies build knowledge through an in-depth exploration of the world and how it works. Subjects are integrated across disciplines, including geography, biology, history, language arts, mathematics, science, music, and other forms of artistic expression. Exploration of each area is expanded through the active participation of the children, who organize field trips to gain real-world knowledge from community resources such as the library, the planetarium, the botanical garden, the science center, a factory, a hospital, and so on. This approach fosters a sense of connection with humanity and encourages children’s natural desire to contribute to the world.
The elementary school environment is designed for children aged 6 to 12. Sometimes the children are divided into two groups: ages 6 to 9 and ages 9 to 12; other times, the 6-year-olds are in the same setting and interact with the older children.