Montessori Method

Who started the Montessori Method?
Dr. Montessori was born (1870) in Italy first woman doctor. Using her scientific background, she began observing children in the "Casa de Bambini" a children's houses of Rome. Based on her unbiased observations she created unique materials, a child centered environment. Dr. Montessori was one of the first person to revolutionize education thought by stressing respect for the child, freedom of expression, self education and training through use of movement and senses.

What is the Montessori Method of Education?
The Montessori method of education is basically a unique approach to learning. Rather than "teaching" The child concepts, an environment is designed to stimulate the child's interest and facilitate his or her understanding and learning capacities spontaneously-with little or no adult intervention.

What is the purpose of the Montessori Method?
The main purpose of the Montessori Method is to develop an environment where the child can unfold spontaneously and manifest the greater person within. According to Dr. Montessori, "The child is the father of the man." As the child begins to develop this innerself, his/her love of life and learning expand continuously.

What is in a Montessori Classroom?
The Montessori Classroom is a child size world. Whatever is in the world outside can be incorporated in the Montessori Classroom. To a child, the world is unmanageable-it is too big, too complex and too confusing. By careful selection of materials by the directress, an environment is setup which allows the child to explore life in a level he or she can understand. The materials are designed to stimulate independent exploration. This prepared environment allows the child to proceed at his or her pace from simple activities to more complex ones. Through this process the child's natural curiosity is satisfied and he or she begins to experience the joy of discovering the world. Materials and curriculum includes Everyday living activities, Sensorial, Language, Math, Geography, Science, Art and music.

How Montessori Preschool different from other Preschools?
In most Preschool the children are taught educational concepts in a group by a teacher. In a Montessori Preschool the children learn concepts spontaneously as they work independently with the many materials in the classroom environment.

What is the role of the Montessori teacher?
The Montessori teacher is called the Directress because she facilitates the classroom activity. She plans carefully the environment in the interests of the children and she helps the children progress from one activity to the next. She is trained to deal with each child individually allowing his or her to choose from many activities within his or her range of ability. She stands back while a child is working and allows the child's satisfaction of his or her own discovery.

How do Montessori children adjust to Public Schools?
Children who have been in the Montessori environments are generally very flexible and adjust quiet easily to the Public School situation. They are better students generally and spend there time in more productive ways because of their self direction and positive attitude towards learning.

Why is a Montessori experience for five days?
The Montessori classroom experience is for consecutive days in order to allow the spontaneous learning of the child to flow smoothly. A child taken in and out of school every other day does not have the same opportunity to pursue her unfolding interests.

For whom is the Montessori Method designed?
The Montessori method is an "approach to learning" and as such has no distinction of class or intelligence. It has been used successfully in all parts of the world and in all types of programs, for example head starts, gifted children, mentally retarded children, average children, etc.

Admissions
Artstart Montessori Academy accepts all children regardless of race, color, creed, ethnic origin, or disability. All students are given prompt attention and openings are filled as they become available.

Enrolling
Contact our school to obtain an information packet and to set up an appointment. The information packet includes the registration package, policy agreement, child placement contract, health form, emergency card, program information and tuition fees.
During your appointment you will meet with the director of the school and will be able to ask any questions that you may have. After a thorough explanation of our programs parents will take a tour of individual classrooms and our playground.

Montessori Classroom Curriculum

Practical Life
This area includes a variety of engaging activities to help children develop life skills, concentration, independence, and fine motor skills. Some skills practiced include pouring, spooning, stringing beads, using scissors, polishing objects, etc.

Sensorial
This area has interesting materials that help children make comparisons and form judgements about qualities such as size, color, smell, shape, and sound.

Language
This area has materials that help children learn to recognize phonetic sounds, to match sounds with objects, to read and write simple words, and to read beginner books

Mathematics
This section includes materials to help children learn to recognize and write numbers, to count objects, to match numbers with quantities, to order numbers to perform numerical operations, and to learn about the decimal system.

Geography and Science
This space has materials that help children learn about continents, cultures, maps, and land forms. Also, there are works such as magnets, animal classification cards, displayed nature items, and hands-on science experiments.

Art and Music
Children are given many opportunities to express themselves through art and music. They are also introduced to famous artists throughout the year.