What is Montessori?
The Montessori Method was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori to provide children with opportunities to become self-sufficient and foster a love of learning. Through extensive and direct observation of children, she created a philosophy designed to meet the needs of all children in specially prepared environments organized with purposeful materials. This educational method encourages independence through order, self-correcting work, and self-discipline. Maria Montessori addresses the uniqueness of each child whereby the work presented is tailored to the strengths and challenges of each student. Children are able to work at their own pace to attain mastery of a subject. This way of learning allows children to work happily and productively without discrimination regarding being “ahead” or “behind” anyone else.
Dr. Montessori also discovered that in the development of the child, there are what she called "sensitive periods". At fairly predictable ages, children pass through periods of sensitivity to such things as order, courtesy, touch, language, mathematics, and perfecting movement. By combining a knowledge of these periods and a judicious use of the materials, Montessori schools have introduced to very young children vast areas of knowledge often believed unavailable to them. Children in a Montessori classroom enter into a partnership with their teacher, with the teacher acting as a guide on the child’s journey of learning and discovery.
When Dr. Montessori first designed her teaching materials, the concept of self-correction was very important to her. This self-correcting feature enables each child to develop independence, as well as fosters the child’s ability to progress at the pace that is unique and perfect for our students.
An active learning style is nurtured in Montessori classrooms. The children are encouraged to seek answers to their questions and to follow their interests. The curriculum serves to answer each child’s needs, rather than bind each child in a rigid sequence. The children are motivated to learn and to excel, and consequently are empowered by feelings of intrinsic satisfaction and self-confidence.
Students at Fernwood Montessori School are educated in the traditional subjects of reading, math, science, and history, but are also learning valuable life skills which will help them succeed in middle school, high school, college, and beyond.
Students learn how to:
- Set their own priorities
- Manage their time
- Finish tasks without external reminders
- Learn a subject rather than memorizing it for a test
- Teach and lead others
- Use all their senses to learn
The best way to learn about Montessori is to:
1) Observe a classroom
2) Talk to parents of Montessori students
3) Talk to graduates of Montessori schools
We look forward to helping you learn more the Montessori method and Fernwood Montessori School. Call today at 301-469-4888 or email admissions@fernwoodmontessori.com to plan your visit and to connect with one of our parents and/or graduates.