Frequently Asked Questions:

What is Montessori?

Montessori is a philosophy of education which puts the child at the center of the learning process. The child’s unique development is supported and guided within a social environment of the classroom.

How Did it Begin?

Maria Montessori, the first woman physician to graduate from the University of Rome opened a child care center for the desperately poor families in the slums of Rome. She called it “A Children’s House”, and provided a homelike setting for these children with materials appropriate for their ages. Her goal was to provide experiences that would help these young people grow and develop into self-motivated, independent learners. The Montessori method came to the United States in 1912. American Montessori Society was founded in 1960.

What are some of the basic theories of Montessori?

1) Children should be respected as different from adults and from each other. Each individual has a right to be who they are.
2) Children will self actualize through purposeful activity. This is how they define who they are as unique people in the world.
3) Birth to age 6 are the critical years in the development of the child.
4) Children are capable of absorbing and learning about their environment due to their high sensitivity and awareness to their surroundings. Children are always taking in the materials and the people who are a part of their world.

What Makes Montessori Education Different?

Please see the section of our website titled “A Comparison of Traditional and Montessori” from the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association.
Simply put, the goal of a Montessori program is to educate the whole child, in hopes that the child will reach his/her full potential in all areas of life. These include social, emotional, physical, and cognitive areas of the child’s development. The joy of learning is at the center of a Montessori classroom. The teacher functions as an observer and facilitator, basing the lessons for an individual child on what that child is ready for within the prepared environment of the classroom. This involves keen observation on the part of the teacher, and a willingness to “follow the child” in his or her process as they move through the available works.
Children are in multi-age classrooms, Primary: 3-6, Lower Elementary: 6-9, and Upper Elementary: 9-12. Within these diverse classrooms, a community is formed in which the children help each other move through the learnings available.

How Does it Work?

Freedom with responsibility is the basis of any Montessori classroom. The child has the freedom to choose works, and they must do so in a responsible and orderly manner. Children work at their own pace, adopting a set of ground rules based on mutual respect of each other and the materials. The aim is to encourage active, self-directed learning. The multi-age classrooms and freedom of movement allows children to help each other as they discover the lessons in front of them. It is a cooperative approach, with opportunities for individual mastery and small group collaboration.

How is Creativity Encouraged?

Montessorians believe that each child should be respected and revered for who they are. The emphasis is not on conforming, but becoming the very best person that you can – unique and true to yourself. Music, art, storytelling, movement and drama are all a part of the classroom experience. In addition, all of the senses are stimulated as the child moves through the experiential, hands-on materials in every classroom.

What does it mean to “follow the child”?

Montessori education is based on observation. The adult’s role is to carefully observe each child in the classroom, prepare the environment to engage the child, and guide them through the work available to them within that environment.

Why are there mixed age groups?

All Montessori classrooms cover a span of three years. At each of these levels (Primary – ages 3-6, Lower Elementary – ages 6-9, and Upper Elementary – ages 9-12), the adults and the children work together to create a cooperative community. Skills are cultivated by the individual, at their own rate. Children learn from each other by modeling and collaborating on various works within the structure of the classrooms. This structure also allows children to move through lessons of social growth and development, as they learn to work with each others gifts and differences.

How are parents involved at the school?

Parents are always welcome to come and help at the school. Each day, two hallparents assist children in the halls. In addition, elementary parents will help children with math facts or reading individually. Parent volunteers are also always needed for special events at school, as well as fundraisers. Our school is a community for the whole family, and you may expect to make lifelong friends here.

Are Montessori classrooms too structured? Too unstructured?

Each teacher presents the lessons very carefully and deliberately to the individual child or a small group of children in their classes. After the materials have been presented clearly, and their purpose explained, the child is free to choose that work when it is available. They are taught to use the materials in a specific manner, and replace them on the shelves in an orderly fashion to be used by the next child.
Creativity is fostered in the classroom. Children may initiate plays, stories, songs, etc. and have many opportunities to explore the arts both with the art, music, and theater specialists, and in the regular daily classroom work.

How Do I Know if Montessori is Right for My Child?

The best way to decide if a Montessori education is right for your child is to visit our school Please call us, and schedule a time to visit our school. We typically show prospective parents around between 9 and 11 in the mornings, as this is the time that all of the children, ages 3-12 are here. Please contact us at (517) 482-9191 to make an appointment. We would be happy to show you around and answer any questions about our school.