6 Great Reasons To Choose A Montessori School For Your Child

Choosing your child’s school is one of the really big decisions you will have to make for your child. I found that out last year since we had to make some big decisions with my daughter starting Grade 1 this year. All schools are not created equal and there are a number of things you will need to look at when choosing a school for your child.

Your child will be spending a considerable amount of time at school and the school that you choose will play a huge influence in your child’s life. We all want to have the best child care possible for our children and the quality of education plays a big role here.

I would have loved to have had the option to consider a Montessori school for my children, but there are none within any reasonable traveling distance so we would have had to relocate which was is not an option for us.

The Montessori method of education (developed by Dr Maria Montessori) is a child-centered educational approach which is based on scientific observations of children from birth until adulthood.

In Montessori schools children learn at their own pace with teachers guiding them. While there is a focus on academics it is not limited to academic achievements. Children learn to care for themselves, for others and for the planet too.

Here are 6 reasons to choose a Montessori school:

The Child Approach

This is the thing that Montessori schools are the most well known for.

Children learn at their own pace without any pressure or competition. They learn to be confident and learns as he or she is best able to. Instead of trying to teach all children in the same way children are able to explore their own ways of learning and find the way that suits them best.

Teachers develop an individual learning program for each child that is specific to the interests and needs of that child.

Children Of Different Ages Learning Together

On the face of it this may seem like a bad idea, however when you think about it having children of different ages will work well.The older children will serve as role models and the younger children will learn from the older kids and benefit from seeing them succeed.

This creates a sense of community while developing team building skills and teaches children to respect each other.

Holistic Learning Approach

Mainstream schools focus mostly on the academic side of teaching children. Montessori schools focus on the full development of the children and cover 5 key areas – practical life, mathematics, sensorial, language and culture. The Montessori curriculum integrates the education you receive at school along with teaching children the real life skills that they need.

Children learn about doing daily chores and conflict resolution which helps children to develop a sense of responsibility and helps them to build self confidence.

Children also learn to respect other people, animals and the earth.

Freedom Of Movement

Children are free to move around the classrooms instead of being desk bound. This freedom of movement promotes self-control and children feel respected being able to make their own choices.

Visit the Montessori Danville website to watch a video showing their school,  classroom and work station set up. It is very different from the traditional school set up!

Educational Materials & Learning Environment

Montessori schools are highly focused on the design of their learning programs, classrooms and facilities in order to create a learning environment that supports children’s developing needs as well as their interests as they grow. Educational materials are rich in visual representation so as to be beneficial to the children.

Children learn through getting actively involved in activities that engage multiple senses rather than through traditional lectures. Children are engaged in a real and relevant way that helps them to experience things that they are trying to learn. This makes learning fun and interesting for children.

Independence and Self Confidence

Children are also encouraged to be independent and to learn to do things that adults would normally do for them. Children learn to cook, do dishes and tend the garden.

In learning to do these things and be independent it creates a sense of achievement for your child. It is empowering and nurtures your child’s self confidence. Your child will have a sense of pride at being able to do things for himself.

It is clear from all the above points that the Montessori method of education has some amazing benefits for your child that are very hard to ignore. It is easy to see why so many parents choose Montessori schools.

How do you feel about Montessori schools? Have you any experience with them.