THE MONTESSORI PHILOSOPHY

According to the Montessori system, every child carries unseen within himself the person he will become. In order to develop physically, intellectually, creatively and spiritually, the child must have the freedom to achieve through self-chosen work in an environment which motivates activity and is rich with possibilities.

This order and self-discipline is aided through the use of materials designed to develop patterns of concentration, perseverance and thoroughness. In the Montessori environment, children spontaneously move themselves toward learning.

Montessori-trained teachers prepare the learning surroundings, direct the activity, function as guides and offer the student intellectual stimulation. But, ultimately, it is the child who learns—who is motivated through the work itself.

The result of the Montessori philosophy of education is confident, competent learners who, introduced to the joy of learning at an early age, develop the understanding that intellectual and social discipline go hand-in-hand.

OUTCOMES OF MONTESSORI EDUCATION

Montessori fosters a child's natural curiosity, instills a joy of learning, and provides one of the most effective and efficacious academic learning environments. The richness of Montessori education is that it offers so much more nuturing the child's ability to ...

...develop intrinsic motivation - develop the habit to do something that needs to be done but without being told to do so as well as challenge oneself to improve oneself.

...develop internal controls and limits - allow the child to make appropriate choices, learn to share, compromise, and understand the natural consequences of one's actions.

...be empathetic - feel others' concerns, understand their views, be responsive to others, leading to the ability to work cooperatively and effectively within groups as well as the ability to communicate effectively with people of all ages.

...understand and appreciate diversity within our communities - observe the richness diversity offers, which leads to respect for others.

...work independently - create one's own schedule/plan and follow it accordingly. This in turn leads to the ability to question for deeper understanding and think independently (to think "outside the box").

...learn for the sake of learning - make learning a lifelong passion.

...develop critical thinking skills ("higher level thinking") - apply knowledge learned to solve new intellectual challenges.

...understand the process of learning - understand the process behind the acquisition of knowledge, not just the knowledge itself (not only "what I've learned, but how I learned it").

...integrate knowledge - acquire new knowledge more profoundly because it is learned not as part of a group of facts but by the synthesis of new knowledge with that which is already known.

...understand oneself - develop greater self-confidence and self-assurance. Through works and interactions with others, one learns to appreciate oneself.

...develop intuitive and environmental intelligence as well as statistical intelligence (even though statistical intelligence - the accumulation of facts - is necessary for standardized tests and other mandated standards of learning).