Montessori Philosophy

In the early 1900s, Dr. Maria Montessori, Italy's first woman physician, developed educational materials and methods based on her belief that children learn best by doing, not by passively accepting other people's ideas and pre-existing knowledge. Dr. Montessori believed learning should occur in multi-age classrooms where children at various stages of development learn from and with each other. Her advice was always, "Follow the child."

The Montessori approach succeeds because it draws its principles from the natural development of the child. The first level of development occurs from birth to age 6, known as the First Plane of Development. At this stage, children are sensorial explorers, constructing their intellects by absorbing every aspect of their environment, their language and their culture. From age 6 to 12, the Second Plane of Development, children become conceptual explorers. They develop their powers of reason, abstraction, and imagination, and apply their knowledge to discover and expand their worlds further. Schools are organized to reflect these stages: Primary classrooms 3–6 year olds, Lower Elementary 6–9 year olds, and Upper Elementary 9–12 year olds.

The Montessori teacher's role at the Elementary level is to inspire, "enthusing [the child] to her inner-most core." (Dr. Maria Montessori, from To Educate the Human Potential). The teacher becomes an observer, whose ultimate goal is to intervene less and less as the child develops. The teacher creates an atmosphere of calm and order in a dynamic classroom, where children are free to work and explore in an orderly environment, and is there to help and encourage the children in their efforts, allowing them to develop self-confidence and inner discipline. With the younger students at each level, the teacher is more active, demonstrating the use of materials and presenting activities. Knowing how to observe constructively and when to intervene is one of the most important talents the Montessori teacher acquires through Montessori education and experience.