Why choose a Montessori education for your child?

 

Today most educators and psychologists agree that the single most important period in the development of a person's intelligence occurs between birth and age five. A child's mind is extremely absorbent, receptive, and excited about exploring the world around him or her. A Montessori classroom nurtures that enthusiasm and curiosity by offering a variety of materials to stimulate your child. The Montessori teacher is trained to recognize when a child is ready to learn a new skill, and to foster his or her natural instincts and abilities. A Montessori education provides students with information in a way they can understand it and enjoy it. Not only is learning fun, but it is tailored to suit your child's individual learning style.

 

What does Montessori offer that my child can't get at other local schools or daycares?

 

• The Montessori approach to education is unique. The materials used to teach reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, science, music, social studies are all unique to the Montessori classroom. The classroom materials take abstract ideas and put them in a concrete form that makes sense to young, developing minds. Teachers use few didactic approaches; they are primarily observers of their students and guides to the child when he/she is ready to learn a new skill. This allows the children to learn independently, with the guidance and support of a teacher whose primary focus is observing how your child learns, and tapping into those styles and approaches that work best for your child.

 

Who started the Montessori Method?

 

• Dr. Maria Montessori, Italy's first woman medical doctor, started the Montessori Method over 100 years ago. She began observing children in the children's houses of Rome. Her studies were the first to recognize that children have different learning styles and vary widely in their preferences for visual, auditory, verbal, and tactile techniques. Dr. Montessori used her insight to develop an instructional method that balances group and individual sessions, supports self-instruction and student-driven experimentation after brief periods of teacher instruction or demonstration. This student-centered methodology builds confidence by recognizing children’s individual differences and nourishing individual talents.

 

What is in a Montessori Classroom?

 

• The Montessori classroom is a children’s room, dynamic and fluid. The multi-age classrooms foster self-esteem and self-discipline, independence, plus respect for and cooperation with fellow individuals. By careful selection of materials, an environment is set up that allows the child to explore life at a level he/she can understand. This prepared environment entices the child to proceed at his/her own pace from simple to more complex activities. Through this process, the child's natural curiosity is satisfied.