Overview
The fundamental goal of the Montessori Program is to prepare children for life. The Montessori philosophy, methodology, and clearly prescribed curriculum are based on the premise that children have “absorbent minds” and an innate desire to learn. Given the proper environment and freedom, children will direct their own learning activities. Children learn more when they are stimulated by their surroundings and will benefit most when both teachers and parents are consistent and supportive of the Montessori philosophy.
Learning occurs through self-discovery. Students learn from the environment that our school offers. The teacher is a dynamic link between the classroom environment and the student, and it is through this link that learning takes place. Recent research emphasizes developmentally appropriate learning and using the teacher as a facilitator of learning. Also the teacher is responsible for keeping records of each child’s progress.
The use of special Montessori equipment is a key feature of the program. Through manipulation and use of materials such as the geometric cabinet, the moveable alphabet, and a variety of other hands-on materials, students learn the fundamental concepts of math, language arts, social studies, and science; and, in the process, they learn how to combine concepts and arrange their thoughts in new and exciting ways. Through a carefully sequenced presentation of progressively complex material, the child will master increasingly abstract concepts. Mastery is noted by visual, oral, and written evaluation that in turn, depends on the exercise being observed.
The Montessori curriculum has been effective in implementing a child-centered, “hands-on”, multi-sensory approach to learning reading and math. It fosters student independence and personal responsibility for learning, a willingness to take risks, a sense of social responsibility, and a love of learning. Going beyond mono-sensory approaches, by means such as using phonetics initially to teach reading, Montessori introduces highly structured hands-on materials for training the senses of young children with the ultimate goal of education being self-actualization. Weinacker’s Montessori School places great emphasis on the concepts of natural development, spontaneity, and the natural goodness of the child.