Montessori Philosophy
Education that follows the child
Maria Montessori
A pioneer who trusted the child
Maria Montessori, born in 1870, was the first woman to receive a medical degree in Italy. She worked in psychiatry, education, and anthropology, and believed each child is born with unique potential to be revealed — not a blank slate waiting to be written upon.
Her methods were based on scientific observation of how children actually learn. The classroom should reflect natural life, and children benefit most from working and living freely in a prepared environment. The teacher’s role is to adapt that environment and direct each child so they can fulfill their greatest potential — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
A century after Maria Montessori’s first casa dei bambini (“children’s house”) in Rome, Montessori education continues to empower and enlighten today’s youth.
The Method
An internationally recognized curriculum
The Montessori Method has been practiced for over 100 years. It encourages children to develop respect for themselves, for others, and for the environment while working at their own pace, in their own interest areas.
Children are drawn to particular work during “critical periods” — optimum times of learning. The teacher observes and prepares a space where each child can choose work in reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, science, practical life, and sensorial activities. Uninterrupted work periods build concentration and a genuine pleasure in learning.
Mixed-age classrooms of 3–6 (including kindergarteners) mirror the real world. Older children mentor younger ones; younger children are motivated by their peers. Grace and courtesy are fundamental, helping children develop healthy social and emotional skills.
