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Montessori Children's House utilizes the
Montessori Method of education and Montessori materials developed by Dr.
Maria Montessori.
Dr. Montessori believed that children
learn best by doing, not by passively accepting other people's ideas and
pre-existing knowledge. Believing that the young child had more
potential than educators realized, she began to develop this potential
by teaching the young child through his natural interest in exploring
the world. Her developmentally appropriate approach was designed to
individually accommodate each child's unique abilities. She devoted her
life to the education of children. Her teaching techniques are presently
used in public and private school classrooms all over the world.
The goal of a Montessori education is to
help children become responsible, self-motivated learners competent in
all areas of life. The Montessori method recognizes "sensitive periods"
in a child - especially three to six year olds - when he can absorb
information from an enriched hands on environment provided to him. There
is a "sensitive period" for all the things a child must learn to become
a functioning adult - for learning new words, for counting, for using a
pencil, for an appreciation of order and more. The Montessori classroom
encourages this natural appetite of the child by offering
age-appropriate materials to satisfy his intense desire for knowledge. A
child who acquires the basic skills of reading and mathematics in this
natural way has the advantage of beginning his education without
pressure, boredom or discouragement. By pursuing his or her individual
interests in a Montessori classroom at an early age, he gains an early
enthusiasm for learning, which is the key to becoming a truly educated
person. The teacher works toward developing the child's sense of order,
concentration and coordination.
The Montessori environment promotes
self-esteem, encourages fundamental motivation, spontaneous activity and
self-education. A Montessori education teaches a child respect for
oneself, others, and the environment. The Montessori method allows each
child the ability to obtain a good self-image enabling him to feel
secure, independent and self-confident. The fundamental motivation of a
Montessori education is to guide the child to grow in knowledge and
strength as a whole person and thus gain the practical skills and
insight into determining their successes in their future lives.
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