Dr. Montessori was a very remarkable educator. She was the first female physician in Italy. She also studied anthropology, psychology, and education philosophy at the University of Rome and she was appointed Government Inspector of schools in Italy.

She started working with the slum children of San Lorenzo, Italy. She achieved such remarkable results with the children that other parents wanted their children to be in her schools.

She believed that only through movement and through learning through the senses could a child move on to later abstract thinking. Current research confirms that sensory-motor activities help to build the neural connections in the child's developing brain.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Montessori approach to education is its emphasis on the development the individual child within the social setting of the group.

Dr. Montessori believed that learning is an individual activity rather than a group activity. In a Montessori classroom each child learns at his or her own pace without being held back or pushed ahead by the needs of the other children in the classroom. This promotes a cooperative rather than a competitive atmosphere in the classroom. With liberty of choice and motion a child chooses a work and then carries it to any unoccupied table or rug. The children choose weather to work alone or to work with a group of friends. The Teacher helps to facilitate friendships in the classroom by modeling appropriate behavior and assisting the children in developing social skills.

In the Montessori classroom the opportunities for learning are accomplished through the prepared environment and through the Teacher. The Teacher's role is to prepare the environment so that the materials that the child needs is available to the child. The Teacher follows the child, observes the child and facilitates the learning process of the child by presenting materials that challenge the child. The Teacher does not repress the individual to conform to the group.

Each child selects the materials that meet his/her individual and developmental needs. Each child is treated in a respectful and nurturing manner and is accepted as a unique individual.

We continue to learn about new research that relates to the field of Early Childhood Education. We explore ways that these new discoveries can be implemented in the classroom to enhance your child's experience while in our care.