Primary

"Absorbent Mind"

Dr. Montessori discovered long ago that the child under the age of six has a miraculous ability to absorb their world around them. She called this special mind the "Absorbent Mind." The young child can absorb language, perfect movement and internalize order developing them into a competent child in a few short years. Never will these sensitivities and abilities be more alive than in the early years of life. The Primary classroom offers a unique cycle of learning designed to take advantage of the child's sensitive years between three and six, when the child can best absorb information from an enriched environment.

The Classroom

Attractive Spaces

The young child is curious about everything and needs to explore and discover. The Montessori classroom and activities encourage each child to move, touch, and manipulate. The child has freedom to work independently, based on their own initiatives, with gentle and respectful guidance from their teacher. Our attractive spaces have an intriguing array of learning materials, books, plants, animals, art material. These areas all flow into an additional outdoor environment.

Materials

The Montessori environment contains specially designed manipulative "materials for development" that invite children to engage in learning activities of their own individual choice. Under the guidance of a trained teacher, children in a Montessori classroom learn by making discoveries with the materials. Resulting in cultivating concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning.

Multi-Age

Montessori philosophy stresses the importance of a three-year cycle, believing that the child's full potential is reached after three years in the same environment. Montessori schools use multi-age groupings (three to six-year-olds, six to nine-year-olds, etc.), with trained teachers to meet the children's specific cognitive, social, and emotional needs. We realize that children possess talents and needs that go beyond academics; therefore, children are free to explore the environment at their own pace. The multi-age environment creates a learning community where the children work together to learn from one another.

Independence

“The child seeks for independence by means of work; an independence of body and mind.” (Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 8, p. 91)