Mission & Philosophy
Our Mission: To provide the optimal environment for children to develop their full academic, social and physical potential using a sensible, structured and well-tested system that allows children to develop at their own pace using their own abilities under the guidance of trained Montessori professionals.
Our Philosophy: We see the child as a dynamic learner, bursting with creative potential, who needs the maximum freedom and opportunity to develop as a happy and contributing individual. Montessori education is based on a realistic understanding of the child’s cognitive, neurological and emotional development.
Our approach and philosophy guides children sequentially through activities that promote:
- the love of learning
- the joy of discovery
- inquisitiveness
- concentration
- decision-making
- a sense of order and inner discipline
- self-confidence
- coordination and refinement of movement
- mutual respect and the sense of responsibility
- independent thinking
- academic success
How this works in a Primary (3-6) Montessori Classroom: Our teachers guide the child through individual and group lessons. Children work at their own pace with materials they have selected and are free to work independently or with others. The teacher closely observes the child and recognizes when he/she is ready to progress. She will then introduce the child to materials that will continue to develop the child’s skills and abilities.
The primary materials are hands-on and demonstrate concepts in a concrete manner. It has been proved by much research that the young child is a kinesthetic learner and this is the optimal way for the young child to learn and understand basic concepts.
The child progresses sequentially through a range of increasingly complex activities. The materials are self-correcting so the child experiences success at each stage and is never discouraged by attempting work that is beyond his/her skill level.
This constant affirmation breeds self-confidence and a love of learning. Children do not need tangible rewards such as stickers. Montessori children develop a natural appetite to learn and delight in his/her own accomplishments is sufficient reward.
As children move into their kindergarten year they are kept challenged to meet their personal potential. The goal is to foster independence, responsibility and follow-through, competence, problem-solving skills, the ability to work cooperatively within a group and follow the spark of intellectual inquisitiveness and mastery of academic skills kindled in their preschool years. Self-correcting, hands-on Montessori materials continue to allow students to take charge of their own learning and make sense of increasingly complex concepts as they begin to bridge from concrete learning to working in the abstract.
“The goal of early childhood education should not be to fill a child with facts from a set course, but rather to cultivate his own natural desire to learn.”
—Dr. Maria Montessori
