The Montessori Approach

A Montessori school is a learning center based on the whole child educational approach of Maria Montessori (1870-1952), the first female physician to graduate from the University of Rome. She believed that children have a natural, spontaneous interest in learning. A Montessori program is directed at helping each child reach full potential in all areas of life. Every Montessori classroom is a carefully prepared environment to promote the child's development of social skills, emotional maturity, independence, and physical coordination, in addition to intellectual growth. An essential feature of the method involves the mingling of ages within each classroom, over a three year range. The resulting atmosphere allows for flexibility for each child to learn at his/her own pace in a home-like environment where younger children learn from their slightly older peers, and older children reinforce their own achievements by helping the younger ones.