The Montessori Garden School
125 Lopez Ave
Port Angeles, WA 98362
ph: (360) 457-6610
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Philosophy
Dr. Montessori developed what soon became known as "The Montessori Method" beginning over 100 years ago, in Rome, Italy. Her first students were children with 
learning disabilities, who, unfortunately because of the times, were institutionalized. Building on the work of Itard and Sequin, through careful observation, she created an environment that allowed the children to thrive. Books on Montessori talk about these children being tested the following year and surpassing their "normal" peers in language, math and more.
During the early years, she mainly focused on the 3-6 years in a child’s development, but later went into birth-three, 6-9, 9-12 and even into secondary school, into university level.
The term Montessori is based on both the name of the person - Maria Montessori, and her philosophies, but also the materials she tailored for use in the classroom, that are still used today.
From the moment the child begins school, each activity (or work as we call it), is a progressive building block, ultimately building the "man they will become." All focus in the classroom is built on the needs of each child, individually.
One thing an adult will notice if they observe, is that each child directs their own learning, choosing from the different areas in the classroom- Language, Math, Geography, Practical Life (fine and gross motor skill development activities), Sensorial (sensory and brain development), Science, Art, and History. The role of the teacher is to introduce children to materials and be there to observe and help when needed. Think of an equilateral triangle where the child is at one point, the classroom or environment as we call it is at another, then the Montessori teacher is at the third.
Another main point of the Montessori classroom is the mixed ages. Children from 2 ½- 6 are in one classroom - learning from each other.
The Montessori philosophy is built upon the idea that children are not "adults in small bodies." They develop and think differently than adults and unfold on their own timetables. She strongly advocated children’s rights, and was nominated several times, also posthumously, for the Nobel Peace Prize.
We discourage traditional measurements of development and achievement; rather work with the children to develop inner growth. Rather than "good job!" you’ll hear "you did it!"
What You Will See in Our Classroom:
Children as competent beings capable of self-directed learning
That children learn is a distinctly different way than adults do
That observation by the teacher is paramount as a basis of ongoing curriculum development. Presentations of subsequent activities for skill development and information accumulation are based on the observation that the child has mastered the current exercise(s)
"Sensitive periods" of development are being observed where a child’s mind is particularly open to learning specific skills of knowledge - including language development, social interactions and much more
A belief that the "absorbent mind" - where children from birth to around 6 possess limitless motivation to achieve competence within their environments and to perfects skills and understanding
That children are masters of their environment, which has been specifically prepared for them to be academic, comfortable, and allow a maximum amount of independence
That children learn through discovery, so didactic materials that are self-correcting are used as much as possible
Links & Additional Information:
North American Montessori Teacher's Association
Angeline Stoll Lilliard’s book Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius presents the first comprehensive overview of research done on the comparison of Montessori educated children to those educated in a more traditional manner. Lilliard cites research indicating that the children do better in later schooling than non-Montessori children do - in all subjects, and argues the need for more research in this area.
A 2006 study published in the journal "Science," concluded that Montessori students performed better than their standard public school counterparts in a variety of arenas, including not only traditional academic areas such as language and mathematical reasoning, but in social cognition skills as well.
125 Lopez Ave
Port Angeles, WA 98362
ph: (360) 457-6610
deb
