Frequently Asked Questions

Montessori education emphasizes personalized, hands-on learning, as opposed to the conventional approach where all students receive the same instruction at a uniform rate. In Montessori classrooms, children progress at their own pace, guided through the curriculum with a focus on choice and freedom of movement. They are not required to sit and listen to a teacher talk to the classroom as a whole, but are engaged in individual or small group activities of their own, with materials that have been introduced to them 1:1 by a teacher who knows exactly what each child is ready to absorb. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. Above age six children learn to do independent research, arrange field trips to gather information, interview specialists, create group presentations, dramas, art exhibits, musical productions, science projects, and so forth. In our thoughtfully guided curriculums, the students' learning opportunities are limitless. There are no restrictive textbooks or adult-centered lessons, rather the students are taught how to access real-world learning resources to suit their unique projects.

Multi-age classrooms support an adaptive curriculum approach, enabling each child to work at their own pace while remaining in the community with his or her peers. In addition, the multi-age format allows the older children to become confident leaders of the classroom community, while the younger children benefit from observing and learning directly from the more experienced students.

Montessori is designed to help all children reach their fullest potential at their own unique pace. A classroom whose children have varying abilities is a community in which everyone learns from one another and everyone contributes. Moreover, multi-age grouping allows each child to find his or her own pace without feeling “ahead” or “behind” in relation to their peers.

No. Montessori educates children without reference to a religious denomination. As a result, our classrooms are extremely diverse, with representation from all peoples, cultures, and religions.

Montessori is not a franchise. The term Montessori is not trademarked and anyone, regardless of training, experience or affiliation can open a “Montessori” school. It is essential that parents researching Montessori act as good consumers to ensure the authenticity of their chosen program. It's advisable to verify if the school is accredited by a respected institution, such as the Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators.

Dr. Maria Montessori wanted to be sure that guides were trained correctly, methods were applied as she intended, and a complete set of authentic materials graced the shelves of classrooms. Today, there are few major organizations that carry on her work and are generally regarded as the standard for Montessori education. They are CCMA (Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators), AMI (Association Montessori International), which was created by Dr. Montessori herself, and AMS (American Montessori Society), which branched off from AMI in 1960. These organizations maintain a positive working relationship and mutual respect for the work they all do. If you are looking for a high fidelity Montessori program, it’s important to find a school that is connected to either CCMA, AMI or AMS. There are different levels of connection, depending on how closely a school aligns their work with what is considered ideal.

Montessori schools may be best known for their programs with young children, but the underlying educational method describes programs for students up through high school.

Montessori children are free to choose within limits and have only as much freedom as they can handle with appropriate responsibility. The classroom teacher and assistant ensure that children do not interfere with each other and that children are progressing at their appropriate pace in all subjects.

The different arrangement of a Montessori classroom mirrors the Montessori method's differences from traditional education. Rather than putting the teacher at the focal point of the class, with children dependent on the adult for information and activity, the classroom shows a literally child-centered approach. Children work at tables or on floor mats where they can spread out their materials, and the teacher circulates about the room, giving lessons or resolving issues as they arise.

Yes. Montessori classrooms encourage deep learning of the concepts behind academic skills rather than rote practice of abstract techniques. The success of our students appears in the experiences of our alumni, who compete successfully with traditionally educated students in a variety of high schools and universities.

Montessori classrooms emphasize competition with oneself: self-monitoring, self-correction, and a variety of other executive skills aimed at continuous improvement. Students typically become comfortable with their strengths and learn how to address their weaknesses. In older classes, students commonly participate in competitive activities with clear “winners” (auditions for limited opera roles, the annual spelling bee, etc.) in which students give their best performances while simultaneously encouraging peers to do the same. It is a healthy competition in which all contenders are content that they did their best in an environment with clear and consistent rules.