Program Detail Upper Elementary

Our upper elementary program serves students aged 9-12 — from fourth to sixth grades. In the upper elementary classroom rigorous academic content is taught in small group lessons. The student-teacher relationships that develop over the three years they spend together allow for the unique role of teacher as mentor to impact students in unparalleled ways. The teachers are continuously assessing whether a student understands a concept or needs further instruction. They also help students realize their individual interests, recognize and apply their strengths, and overcome more challenging content or tasks.

The mixed-age classrooms allow students opportunities to “practice life.” They start out as the youngest, and work their way to become the oldest, the role models and mentors admired by their younger peers. The teacher is not the only one giving lessons or the only one managing the class. The classroom is filled with little teachers, each student realizing over time what he or she will contribute to the success of the classroom.

It is this unique experience that helps CDS students develop into remarkable students, citizens and leaders. The CDS teachers are always thinking about the adults these young students will become as they strive to develop the qualities of respect, responsibility and resourcefulness.

Whether it is baking sixty muffins for snack for the class, learning to make flight reservations for the 6th grade class trip, or riding their bikes to the local library, CDS students learn how to respectfully interact with adults and professionals and navigate the worlds of commerce and culture.

While a some families consider transitioning to the local public school at 5th grade out of concern for social integration, research and contemporary educational thought suggest that remaining in a consistent, child-centered program through 6th grade often builds deeper social confidence, collaboration skills, and emotional resilience. Montessori elementary classrooms, with their mixed-age communities and structured opportunities for meaningful teamwork, prepare children to form lasting relationships, navigate conflict, and step confidently into new environments when the time is right (Berkshire Montessori, 2024; AMI Training Voices, 2026). Longitudinal studies further suggest that children who spend more years in Montessori environments demonstrate strong wellbeing and social trust later in life (Lillard et al., 2021).

What sometimes gets lost in the conversation is that Montessori elementary was never designed as a series of stand-alone grade levels. It is a six-year developmental journey. The work of First through Sixth Grade unfolds intentionally, each year laying groundwork for the next. The confidence a child gains as one of the oldest in the community, the leadership they practice, the responsibility they shoulder, the deeper academic synthesis that happens in those culminating years; these are not extras. They are part of the design.

One former parent shared with us after her son transitioned to public middle school: “We were nervous about waiting until 6th grade. But when he walked into his new school, he wasn’t trying to figure out who he was . . . he already knew. He made friends quickly, advocated for himself with teachers, and wasn’t rattled by the size of the environment. The leadership he developed in 6th grade made all the difference.”

Another family reflected: “The 6th-grade year changed everything for our daughter. Being one of the oldest in the classroom gave her confidence we hadn’t seen before. She learned how to manage long-term projects, mentor younger students, and speak up. That final year felt like the bridge . . . not a delay.”

When we meet families in the admissions process, we speak about this arc openly, as do our teachers. We hope families enter elementary with the intention of walking the full journey. Not because transition is wrong, children transition beautifully at many points, but because the Montessori method is most powerful when experienced in its entirety. It is not an a la carte model. It is a commitment to a developmental process that unfolds over time.

And in our decades of experience, children who complete the full elementary cycle do not struggle to integrate. They tend to enter new environments with a grounded sense of self, the social fluency that comes from years in a collaborative community, and the quiet confidence of having truly grown into leadership.

Partnership

Countryside partners with Redwood Schools to provide on-site therapy and educational support services for students in Kindergarten through 6th grade who may benefit from additional support beyond the classroom. Through this partnership, students have access to specialized services during the school day, including:

• Speech and Language Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Executive Function Coaching
• Reading Support
• Writing Support
• Math Support

These additional therapies/services are designed to help struggling students develop essential skills, build confidence, and thrive both academically and socially.