Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori (August 31, 1870 – May 6, 1952) was an Italian physician, educator, philosopher, humanitarian and devout Catholic best known for her philosophy and the Montessori method of education of children from birth to adolescence.**

We are proud that our program is composed of the premier contributions to educational thought by Montessori, which are:

• instruction of children in 3-year age groups, corresponding to sensitive periods of development
• children as competent beings, encouraged to make maximal decisions
• observation of the child in the prepared environment as the basis for ongoing curriculum development (presentation of subsequent exercises for skill development and information accumulation)
• small, child-sized furniture and creation of a small, child-sized environment (microcosm) in which each can be competent to produce overall a self-running small children's world
• creation of a scale of sensitive periods of development, which provides a focus for class work that is appropriate and uniquely stimulating and motivating to the child (including sensitive periods for language development, sensorial experimentation and refinement, and various levels of social interaction
• the importance of the "absorbent mind," the limitless motivation of the young child to achieve competence over his or her environment and to perfect his or her skills and understandings as they occur within each sensitive period. The phenomenon is characterized by the young child's capacity for repetition of activities within sensitive period categories
• self-correcting "auto-didactic" materials**

**cited from www.wikipedia.com

“The most important period of life is not the age of University studies but the period from birth to the age of six. At no other age has the child a greater need for intelligent help, and any obstacle that impedes his creative work will lessen the chance he has of achieving perfection.” Since Dr. Maria Montessori wrote these words, research has shown the importance of the early years. During this period unconscious learning is gradually brought to the conscious level, and the foundation for later learning is laid down.

 

The role of the Montessori teacher differs from that of the traditional teacher. The Montessori teacher first observes and then directs the child’s activities so that he/she learns for himself/herself through experience and interaction with the environment.

Teachers work with children to build a solid academic foundation which aims to help them with the development of their personalities, intellectual potential and in acquiring positive attitudes toward their learning habits.

Our teachers are trained by institutes like the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and accredited for Montessori training that is specific to each age group.