Articles by Seedsowers Montessori Pre-School & Kindergarten

Montessori Philosophy

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 2:37 PM

The theory behind Montessori education is simple. Children want to learn. From three to six years of age, the child passes through sensitive periods, revealing surprising mental agility and an intense interest in the adult world. The child loves to learn new words,and is interested in orderliness and good manners—not as a game, but as a representation of the adult world toward which he or she is moving. These sensitive periods come from a God given need to acquire and master skills that are especially necessary in development. If not allowed to follow this natural curiosity and need to know, the child loses interest in exploring and discovering his or her environment.
At Seedsowers Montessori in Temecula the environment is a community in which children live and work cooperatively. The “Prepared Environment”, from scaled furniture and cleaning utensils to special Montessori apparatus, is essential to a Montessori education. This special environment offers a means (time, place, and circumstance) by which the child can develop to his or her potential according to individual needs, based upon Dr.Montessori’s observations and recommendations for all children.
The room includes different areas: PRACTICLE LIFE, SENSORIAL, LANGUAGE, MATH, AND CULTURE
The children are free to work in all areas. New work is introduced, as it is presented in the room. The works are rotated and graduated as the children’s needs change in the environment. The environment is very important as it serves as a teacher; it functions only as well as it has been prepared to meet the needs of children. The Montessori approach is designed scientifically to provide opportunities for the child to explore concrete examples of abstract ideas. It is self-correcting, allowing the child to develop his or her senses and discover concepts under the guidance of a Montessori teacher. In the right environment, education comes through spontaneous exercise of the child’s own faculties. Education becomes more than a search for intellectual skill; it becomes a preparation for life.
Lastly, please remember that we can only function well as a triangle: we all have the same goal - we must work as a team!