Montessori

Step into a well-run Montessori classroom and you will immediately be struck by the atmosphere. There’s something different here. It’s not simply the richness and beauty of the room, or the wealth of educational materials. It’s not just the well-trained teacher. What will strike you most vividly in a Montessori classroom is the quality of the children there. 

The children are active. They move about with freedom and ease. They are purposeful and engaged. They treat one another with courtesy. They are self-directed, self-disciplined learners who can work independently in a structured learning environment.

Academic skills are mastered and applied at what to many is an astonishing pace. Five-year olds read and write; they perform mathematical operations with concrete decimal systems material in four digits. Nine-year olds apply research skills developed over three years in a lower elementary class. Twelve-year olds study advanced concepts in math, science, history, and literature. They carry out independent research projects that use not just libraries and classroom materials, but take them out into the local community. At every age, learning occurs without fatigue or stress on the children. With the assistance of a Montessori-trained teacher, excellent learning materials, and a curriculum designed for their developmental tendencies, the children flourish with their work.

Standardized test scores for Montessori children verify their solid mastery of basic skills. What these scores cannot indicate, though, is the rich quality of learning that one sees in a Montessori school, where children truly learn how to learn. Many teachers have visited a Montessori classroom and been struck by the realization, “This is how I always thought learning should happen. This is how I’ve always wanted to teach!”

Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, a visit to a Montessori classroom is a vivid, memorable experience. A 30- to 60-minute observation will do more than pages of description to convey the spirit of this unique form of education, and why it has succeeded worldwide for over 100 years. Come and see!

Copied from: The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori
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