One of the best descriptions of the effects of Montessori education can be seen in the following video...

Montessori is an approach to education with the fundamental belief that a child learns best within a social environment, which supports and respects each individual’s unique development.

• Children are to be respected as different from adults and as individuals who are different from one another.
• Children develop through purposeful activity.
• Children have the sensitivity and the intellectual ability to learn from their environment, their peers, as well as adults.

The whole child approach is the primary goal of a Montessori program. This is to help each child reach his or her full potential in all areas of life. Indoor and outdoor activities promote the development of special skills, emotional growth, and physical coordination, as well as cognitive preparation.

Dr. Montessori’s observations of the kinds of experiences that children enjoy and go back to repeatedly led her to design a number of multi-sensory, sequential, and self-correcting materials that facilitate the learning of skills and lead to learning of abstract ideas.

The Montessori teacher functions as a designer of the environment, role model, demonstrator, resource person, record-keeper, and meticulous observer of each child’s behavior and growth.

What is the secret? Children love to be involved in self-directed, purposeful activities. When provided a prepared environment of meaningful hands-on materials, along with the time to complete the process of the lesson at his or her own pace, a child will choose to engage in activities that will create learning in personal and powerful ways.

The Secret of Childhood? - Children thrive on self-directed, purposeful activity.

A Montessori prepared environment includes the outdoors, as well as the indoors, and is filled with time-tested, hands-on materials that meet specific learning needs and encourage positive brain development. Above all, the Montessori prepared environments are attractive to children and peaceful, giving children a place to learn and grow in grace and dignity.