Cosmic education is at the core of Montessori elementary education. In fact, it is also what Montessori elementary education is as a whole. Cosmic education presents the big picture of everything in the universe first. Once the framework is formed, key lessons are given to the students based on the interests and developmental needs of each and every one of them. Teaching is not practiced by subjects. Instead, the interrelatedness among human beings and everything else in the universe is introduced to the children. Hence, the teacher in a Montessori classroom is the guide for the learning of all subjects.
- Cosmic education builds the framework for learning with five great stories: God with No Hands, The Story of the Coming of Life, The Story of the Coming of Human Beings, The Story of Communication in Signs, and The Story of Numerals.
- The method of language immersion is adopted for the teaching of both the Chinese and English languages at TMIS.
- The power of imagination is a key developmental characteristic in the elementary phase. It is utilized to interest children in their learning of all lessons, including arts, science, geography, and history to help develop their ability to think abstractly.
- No textbooks or workbooks to follow through the whole semester. Our emphasis at TMIS is placed on open-ended and more in-depth study. We encourage the children to collect information and materials on their own. There are encyclopedias, text-only books as well as illustrated guides, timelines, etc. Ready in the environment to help connect the children to what they are researching.
- We discover and assess what the children know and have learned mainly by using two tools: written reports of learning and oral presentations.