A Montessori Education

Children who have had the benefit of a Montessori education learn to be independent, to be organized, to concentrate, and most important, that working hard and learning is a joyous experience.

Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952), the first woman to receive the degree of Doctor of Medicine in Italy, developed a method of education that allows the child to develop at his own speed, according to his own capacities, and in a non-competitive atmosphere. "Never let a child risk failure until he has a reasonable chance of success," said Dr. Montessori, understanding the necessity for the acquisition of skills before its use in a competitive learning situation.

The structure of Montessori learning involves the use of many materials with which the child may work individually. At every step of his learning, the teaching material is designed to test his understanding and to be self-corrective.

Dr. Montessori recognized that the only valid impulse to learning is the self-motivation of the child. Children move themselves toward learning. The teacher prepares the environment, directs the activity, functions as the authority, offers the child stimulations, but it is the child who learns and is motivated through the work itself.

Learning to be at peace with oneself, to live harmoniously with others and on our Earth, to know oneself and be able to work hard without faltering, to accomplish one's goals. These are the results of a Montessori education.

In interview after interview with Montessori alumni, the former students mention how happy they were attending school. In the stories they tell of their adult lives, you can see how strength, peace, and inner security continue to sustain and motivate them.