About Montessori Education

• The aim of Montessori education is to foster competent, responsible, adaptive citizens who are lifelong learners and problem solvers.

• Learning occurs in an inquiring, cooperative, nurturing atmosphere. Students increase their own knowledge through self- and teacher-initiated experiences.

• Learning takes place through the senses. Students learn by manipulating materials and interacting with others. These meaningful experiences are precursors to the abstract understanding of ideas.

• The individual is considered as a whole. The physical, emotional, social, aesthetic, spiritual, and cognitive needs and interests are inseparable and equally important.

• Respect and caring attitudes for oneself, others, the environment, and all life are necessary. 

The Montessori teacher is educated in these areas: 

• Human growth and development.

• Observational skills to match students' developmental needs with materials and activities. This allows the teacher to guide students in creating their individual learning plan.

• An open-ended array of suggested learning materials and activities that empower teachers to design their own developmentally responsive, culturally relevant learning environment.

• Teaching strategies that support and facilitate the unique and total growth of each individual.

• Classroom leadership skills that foster a nurturing environment that is physically andpsychologically supportive of learning. 

A Montessori classroom must have these basic characteristics at all levels: 

• Teachers educated in the Montessori philosophy and methodology appropriate to the age level they are teaching, who have the ability and dedication to put the key concepts into practice.

• A partnership with the family. The family is considered an integral part of the individual's total development.• A multi-aged, multi-graded, heterogeneous group of students.

• A diverse set of Montessori materials, activities, and experiences, which are designed to foster physical, intellectual, creative and social independence.

• A schedule that allows large blocks of uninterrupted time to problem solve, to see theinterdisciplinary connections of knowledge, and to create new ideas.

• A classroom atmosphere that encourages social interaction for cooperative learning, peer teaching, and emotional development.