Elementary Education
at
Gladwyne Montessori School

Give your child every opportunity to develop a life-long love of learning.

Imagine your child having...
• Academic success
• A positive self-image
• The capability to overcome challenges
• Problem-solving ability
• Excellent communication skills
• Ease in adapting to change
• Respect and appreciation for community

Fostering these qualities is the goal of the Elementary Program at the Gladwyne Montessori School, where your child has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential.

The curriculum — divided into Lower Elementary for children ages 6 to 9 and Upper Elementary for children ages 9 to 12 — builds on the foundation of concrete information learned in the Primary Program. Through hands-on activities that explore abstract concepts, your child learns more than facts. GMS students are motivated to discover the "hows and whys," leading to true understanding and academic success.

Time-tested Montessori principles help your child grow as an individual and as a member of society.

The Elementary Program at Gladwyne Montessori offers your child the opportunity for intellectual and social growth, at his or her natural pace.

The curriculum is interdisciplinary — subjects are studied as an integrated whole, not in isolation. Science, geography, social studies, the arts, languages, and math converge in studies guided by your child's own questions. Often, something learned in one subject will help foster a new or deeper appreciation of another.

In each classroom, a mix of age groups (up to a three-year differential) promotes your child's individual and social development. The give-and-take of one child's experience and another's discovery is key to growing as a person and finding one's place in a community.

The Elementary Program at Gladwyne Montessori offers an exciting, research style of learning.

The curriculum of the Lower and Upper Elementary divisions corresponds to what conventional schools teach in grades 1 through 6. Beyond the "3Rs," it includes computer science, French, music, art and art history, physical education, human history and culture, science, and the roots of language.

By becoming part of this program, your child will receive:
• The opportunity to learn in small groups, free to respond to the natural drive to learn and work.
• Individual attention from teachers, who receive rigorous training in building an atmosphere of calm, order, and joy in the classroom.
• Guidance in discovering specialized subjects, such as the fine arts and computer science.

Children from a variety of cultures and backgrounds all over the world have benefited from a Montessori education; your child will as well.

For more information or to schedule a tour of the facilities, please contact the Admissions Office at (610) 649-1761, ext. 103.

Collaborative learning is a cornerstone to the Montessori approach.

At GMS, Montessori methods have been updated to prepare children for the realities of a world driven by information technology.

In this age of globalization, a comprehensive understanding of geography is a must.

Montessori's hands-on approach is ideal for exploring science.

A word about Dr. Maria Montessori

Born in Italy in 1870, Maria Montessori was the first woman to graduate from medical school in her country. Her unique observations in child development prompted her to design a visionary approach to education that is now used in nearly 5,000 schools across the United States and almost 35,000 schools worldwide.

"I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I learn."
      - M. Montessori

About The Gladwyne Montessori School

The Gladwyne Montessori School was founded over 40 years ago. Today, the Elementary Program is housed in the recently-completed Rachel Eve Savett Building. Each classroom is graced with abundant natural light and a view of the school's outdoor science lab and wild bird sanctuary. The pristine beauty of this setting soothes and inspires GMS's elementary students.

The Elementary Faculty at GMS has an average of 20 years of classroom teaching experience. Many have advanced degrees. The expertise of the classroom teachers is complemented by the diverse skills of the specials teachers. Most importantly, the school is a community that develops in its children self-esteem and self-discipline, independence, and respect for and cooperation with fellow individuals.

Graduates from 6th grade in recent years have been accepted at Episcopal, Agnes Irwin, Baldwin, Haverford, Penn Charter, Germantown Friends, Holy Child, Akiba, Shipley, Friends' Central, Malvern Prep, Springside, and Chestnut Hill Academy.