The Montessori Program

Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952) was the first woman to graduate as a doctor from the University of Rome. The success of her efforts to teach a group institutionalized children, previously considered un-teachable, led her to refine her methods with ‘normal’ children in the first Casa Dei bambini (children’s house) which she established in Rome. Her “experiment” was enormously successful, and Children’s Houses mushroomed around Europe and later in the United States, Asia, and India and Oceania.

Dr. Montessori observed that children have what she termed “sensitive periods” in their development when they are ready to pick up particular skills if the opportunity is offered. Further, she noticed that children reach sensitive periods at different times throughout their development, rather than always at the same age. She designed and developed her materials with the intention of capitalizing on these sensitive periods, and current brain research has validated her methods.

The Montessori classroom offers a “prepared environment” with a specially trained staff that guide rather than ‘teach’ the children. The curriculum provides a balance between freedom and structure, fostering concentration and persistence in the completion of a task. Physical development is nurtured through movement, physical co-ordination exercises, and games. In the classroom, the rich array of specially developed materials helps the development of gross and fine motor control.

At the Children’s House, we adhere to Dr. Montessori's ideas because they help children grow in a healthy, well balanced manner, and her materials give children a good sensorial foundation.  We also use some ideas from Piaget, the traditional American nursery schools, and Rudolph Steiner's Waldorf schools, to name just a few, and we are always exploring new ideas to help the children grow into happy, healthy and creative adults.

We strive to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and caring, where children gain confidence in themselves as effective learners and problem solvers. We nurture feelings of competence, and self-worth, with love and understanding, and carefully plan a stimulating environment to help children develop a good foundation of learning habits, attitudes, ideas and skills.

The way a child learns is very important, and the environment is structured so that a child can master it. The curriculum areas have been designed and furnished with the child's size in mind, and the equipment, and activities are kept within easy reach. While adults are always accessible to children for individual help and nurturing, we encourage children to help themselves, and to put materials back in their appropriate place when they have finished using them. Simple ground rules are maintained with the child's comfort and safety in mind.

Dr. Montessori observed children to be far more capable than given credit for. With initial help and given time to experiment and try for themselves, they are able to perform a variety of tasks, all of which help them to develop independence, self-esteem, self-discipline and love of learning.

At our school the children are invited to move from one learning area into another, to explore the various learning activities, and to choose the specific activity they are most ready for at any given moment in the belief that when the child finds an activity perfectly suited to his/her own special level of development, optimum learning takes place.