The Montessori Method

The Montessori approach to education is founded on scientific observations made over 100 years ago, in 1907, by Dr. Maria Montessori. An educational pioneer, Dr. Montessori was a scientist who proved that children ages 3 to 6 years learn best directly from their environment. At its core, the Montessori philosophy is a way of life; it is how we approach a task and how we treat each other; it's how we see ourselves in relation to all living things, and how we must be stewards of the earth. 
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During early childhood, a love of beauty, order, and repetition is evident, as is an innate desire to learn; it is during these years that the process of learning comes into consciousness. The Montessori materials, the prepared environment, and the Montessori teachers all work in harmony to allow your child to learn from and get the most out of his or her surroundings, now and in the future. While the first 2 years of the program are essential, the third year—the kindergarten year—is invaluable. It culminates the Montessori early childhood experience by bringing together and building upon concepts isolated during the previous two years, and it allows for children’s continued social and intellectual growth.

THE PREPARED ENVIRONMENT
The prepared environment of a Montessori classroom is a beautiful child-centered space and is comprised of 5 distinct areas--practical life, sensorial, math, language, and culture/geography. The environment includes the specialized Montessori materials and child-sized furniture and also a feeling of peace and calm. Prepared appropriately, the simple yet enriched environment facilitates order, coordinated movement, independence, a sense of community, cooperation, communication, respect for self, others, and the environment, patience, and concentration. It also invites exploration of the Montessori learning materials, either in small groups or side by side as individuals, and reinforces order, beauty, and social responsibility. 

THE MONTESSORI TEACHER
The role of the Montessori teacher is to prepare the environment so children feel comfortable and safe, to guide children within the well-defined limits of the Montessori classroom, and to allow them to explore and experience their surroundings—to see, touch, taste, hear, and smell everything around them. She is aware of each child’s progress and development, and she skillfully challenges each one according to his or her changing needs, interests, and abilities. The Montessori teacher encourages, but does not pressure. She knows that children must first and foremost feel secure in order to develop a positive attitude toward learning.   

THE MONTESSORI MATERIALS
Inseparable from the Montessori curriculum, the Montessori materials are didactic and self-correcting. They progress from concrete to abstract, simple to complex, and are the kinds of things children enjoy and come back to repeatedly. Children constantly exposed to the Montessori learning materials have ample time to discover on their own the concepts the materials are intended to isolate with little need for outside correction. Satisfaction comes with the completion of a work and the knowledge that they were able to do it on their own.