Our mission is to create an educational environment for children to explore freely using the Montessori method of instruction; to support and empower parents in our community; and to help families nurture beneficial habits during the formative years and beyond.

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The Montessori Method, developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori, is based in independence, freedom of choice, and movement which helps to foster self-confidence, creativity, and inquisitiveness. Using her observations and knowledge of human tendencies, Maria Montessori created hands-on materials that appealed to the child’s natural sense of inquisitiveness, and allow children to internalize abstract concepts.  

 

At District Montessori, our Montessori classrooms provide a safe, supportive, and joyful place for children to learn and to begin developing order, concentration, and independence. The environment is carefully prepared and is designed to be inviting and easy for the children to navigate. In the Montessori classroom, all activities are child-led. Within the classroom limits, children have the freedom to choose what they will work on, allowing them to develop and strengthen a confident, independent, and creative spirit. Freedom in the classroom and the self-correcting educational materials allow children to recognize their own errors and form the basis for the development of problem solving skills. Although there is a great amount of freedom of choice for children in a Montessori environment, the classroom and materials also promote a sense of order and calm. Daily routines are established that promote concentration and focus.

 

Our trained teachers are perceptive to different learning styles, respectful of each child’s differences, and allow each child to progress at his or her own pace. Adults in the classroom act as guides, giving lessons according to the needs and interests of each child. Adults show the children how to explore the materials, but do not direct or “teach” in a traditional sense. Instead, adults observe the things children notice and allow the children to feel capable in an environment that has been prepared to invite them to participate and explore. Adults also model kindness, sharing, courtesy to others, and a peaceful approach to discipline and conflict resolution—important skills for all children.

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Our classrooms include children of varying ages—building a community where younger children learn not just from the adults, but from the older children as well. Older children in turn benefit from the experience of assisting their younger classmates. At District Montessori, we strive to create a peaceful, supportive, and joyful community—within the classroom, among parents and families in our neighborhood, and in our broader world.