Why Montessori
"A child who has become master of his acts through long and repeated exercises, and who has been encouraged by the pleasant and interesting activities in which he has been engaged, is a child filled with health and joy and remarkable for his calmness and discipline." - Maria Montessori
The Montessori Method of education is a unique approach to learning. Rather than “teaching” the child concepts, the environment is designed to stimulate the child's interests and learning capacities spontaneously. The environment allows the child to act independently and to be a participant in his own education. When the child is allowed to make choices and see the results of these, his self esteem and confidence are built creating a more self-reliant, happy, and independent child.
Dr. Montessori believed that a child’s full potential – physical, intellectual, and emotional – can be reached only if the child is given the opportunity to develop through the exploration of the environment. Montessori education exposes children to the physical and cognitive structures of a highly prepared environment that create an inner discipline and spark their innate curiosity and motivation to learn. Patterns of concentration and attention to detail, when established early, produce a confident, competent learner in later years.
Montessori in the News
Wall Street Journal: The Montessori Mafia
Forbes: Is Montessori The Origin Of Google & Amazon? and The Future of Education was Invented in 1906
Harvard Business Review: Montessori Builds Innovators
Scientific American: Students Prosper with Montessori Method
Wire: Larry Page Wants to Return Google to Its Startup Roots - “You can’t understand Google, unless you know that both Larry and Sergey were Montessori kids.”
Fox News: "Study Shows Improved Test Scores for Students in Montessori Schools"
Wire: "Inside the School Silicon Valley Thinks Will Save Education" - they describe their approach as "Montessori 2.0"
This 5 minute video succinctly explains the Montessori philosophy and its advantages over conventional education.
Famous Montessorians