Montessori Curriculum

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"A beautiful place where great minds begin."

What Is Montessori?

he Montessori Method of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, is a child-centered educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. Dr. Maria Montessori’s Method has been time tested, with over 100 years of success in diverse cultures throughout the world.

It is a view of the child as one who is naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It is an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child- physical, social, emotional, cognitive.

Components necessary for a program to be considered authentically Montessori include multiple groupings that foster peer learning, uninterrupted blocks of work time, and guided choice of work activity. In addition, a full complement of specially designed Montessori learning materials is meticulously arranged and available for use in an aesthetically pleasing environment.

The teacher, child and environment create a learning triangle. The classroom is prepared by the teacher to encourage independence, freedom within limits, and a sense of order. The child, through individual choice, makes use of what the environment offers to develop himself, interacting with the teacher when support and/ or guidance is needed.

Multi-age groupings are a hallmark of Montessori classrooms: younger children learn from older children; older children reinforce their learning by teaching concepts they have already mastered. This arrangement also mirrors the real world, where individuals work and socialize with people of all ages and dispositions.

Dr. Montessori observed that children experience sensitive periods, or windows of opportunity, as they grow. As their students develop, Montessori teachers match appropriate lessons to these sensitive periods when learning is most naturally absorbed and internalized.

Bella Montessori provides a Montessori educational program for children ages 6 weeks through 6 years.

he following video was filmed at Secret Garden Montessori in Frenchtown, NJ by a young adult filmmaker who was himself a Montessori student through 6th grade. It provides a great overview of the unique Montessori approach and the importance of our three year cycle.