“To aid life … that is the basic task of the educator.” Maria Montessori
Montessori education is based on the premise that children have an innate ability to learn and that when supported by an appropriate environment and educator, they are guided through their developmental needs to reach their full potential.
Authentic Montessori combines joyful, autonomous learning, with a structured, challenging curriculum. Exploration is encouraged so that children find things out for themselves, make mistakes and correct them independently.
Teachers are guides and facilitators, not instructors. They observe children who are actively engaged in self-directed learning and move the child to the next steps when they are ready for more.
skills to last a lifetime
In a Montessori education, children take ownership of their education and develop the fundamental skills they need to achieve personal and academic success. They grow a strong sense of self, the ability to connect with others, and the potential to be productive throughout their lives. There are several research-based studies on this method.
A Montessori teacher has a deep understanding of child development and has been thoroughly trained to guide children towards productive and challenging experiences, both individually and collectively, that will provide a firm foundation for their future.
Rigorously trained teachers carefully observe children in their environment, identifying their interests and abilities and developing personalized learning plans tailored to each child’s needs. They guide the learning, introducing new lessons and levels of difficulty as appropriate. The teacher offers encouragement, time, and tools needed to allow children’s natural curiosity to drive learning, and provides choices that help them learn, grow, and succeed.
the child is the focus
“When the child begins to show interest in one of these, the teacher must not interrupt, because this interest corresponds with natural laws and opens up a whole cycle of new activities. But the first step is so fragile, so delicate that a touch can make it vanish again, like a soap bubble, and with it goes all the beauty of that moment. The teacher, now, must be most careful. Not to interfere means not to interfere in any way.” ~Dr. Maria Montessori
At HMS, we proudly practice an authentic Montessori approach. We recognize that children and families need consistency to thrive and are proud to state that we have very low turnover in our teachers at HMS which means that you and your child will have a caring team who can anticipate your education needs on a deeper level.
We'd love to show you how to set your child up for a lifetime of learning!
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