Academics

The child should demonstrate the ability to:

• be able to do verbal conflict resolution
• be able to articulate their needs to an adult or another child
• be able to sit at a circle/group appropriately without calling out, interrupting, or touching others
• be able to separate from the parent
• be able to focus on a task independently or in a group
• make eye contact
• listen and respect others and their work
• be able to care for their own personal needs
• have good gross and fine motor skills
• be able to articulate words appropriately
• be self directed (age appropriately)
• be self motivated (age appropriately)
• be able to complete a morning work cycle (2 hours)
• have good self esteem and feeling of self worth
• have a love of learning, a love of school, and a love of life
• be able to make the connection between behavior and feelings

The primary environment unifies the social, physical, and intellectual functioning of the child.

It is an important function is to provide children with an early and general foundation that will enable them to acquire more specialized knowledge and skills throughout their school career.

Montessori classes are organized to encompass a two or three year age span, which allows younger students to experience the daily stimulation of older role models, who in turn blossom in the responsibilities of leadership. Students not only learn “with” each other, but “from” each other. We find that most often the best tutor is a fellow student who is just a bit older.

Some parents worry that having younger children in the same class as older ones will leave one group or the other short changed. They fear that the younger children will absorb the teachers’ time and attention, or that the importance of covering the Kindergarten curriculum for the five year olds will prevent teachers from giving the three and four year olds the emotional support and stimulation that they need. Both concerns are misguided.

Working in one class for two or three years allows students to develop s strong sense of community with their classmates and teachers. The age range also allows especially gifted children the stimulation of intellectual peers, without requiring that they skip a grade and feel emotionally out of place.

Montessori teachers play a very different role from those played by traditionally trained educators. While the stern disciplinarians of the past may be an endangered species, many teachers are focused on maintaining order and on covering a pre-defined curriculum. Most see their role as dispensing facts and skills to complacent students.

The Montessori teachers’ role is that of a facilitator and guide. He or she is usually not the center of attention and will not normally spend much time working with the whole class at once. Her role centers around the preparation and organization of appropriate learning materials to meet the needs and interests of each child in the class.

The Montessori teacher has four primary goals: to awaken our children’s spirit and imagination, to encourage their normal desire for independence and high sense of self-esteem, to help them develop the kindness and self-discipline that will allow them to become full members of society, and to help them learn how to observe, question, and explore ideas independently. The Montessori teacher is a coach, mentor, and friend.

The teachers closely monitor their students’ progress, keeping the level of challenge high. Because they come to know the children so well, Montessori teachers can often use their own interests to enrich the curriculum and provide alternate avenues for accomplishment and success.