The focus of Dr. Maria Montessori's method is on the individuality of each child with the goal of the child maintaining his or her natural joy of learning. The young child has a strong need to understand the order in the world and a unique ability to absorb new concepts. The Montessori environment is well-planned and attractively designed for the child to examine and control. He or she learns by working with a rich variety of manipulative materials. The curriculum includes four basic areas: (1) practical life, (2) sensorial, (3) language, and (4) math. Creative writing, science, cultural studies, geography, art, and music are also included within the classroom at MoMC.
Focusing On a Chosen Activity
The ability to focus on a chosen activity aids the child in developing concentration and a logical approach to problem-solving. The materials present one concept at a time in a sequential manner, thus increasing the child's chance for successful completion and encouraging confidence and concentration. Montessori's approach to learning is hands-on believing working hands-on encourages children to develop their observation skills by doing many types of activities. The use of the five senses, kinetic movement, spatial refinement, small and large motor skill coordination and concrete knowledge that lead to later abstraction are integral to the activities within the classroom.
Emotional & Social Development
The emotional and social development of the child is an important part of the Montessori school. We seek to create a warm, loving, and respectful atmosphere. Emphasis is placed on helping the children express feelings in constructive ways to develop social skills and to gain a sense of responsibility for their own behavior within the school community. A "peace table" is available for sitting and discussing disputes with or without a teacher as needed. The "peace table" is also there for the child to spend some quiet time by him or herself. A philosophy of "freedom within limits" provides the basic framework for the children's interaction with the environment and each other.
"Discipline must come through liberty. We do not consider an individual disciplined only when he has been rendered as artificially silent as a mute and as immovable as a paralytic. He is an individual annihilated, not disciplined." -Dr. Maria Montessori