The Montessori Method
« Free the child’s potential and you will transform the world with him.»
Maria Montessori
Our teaching method_ focuses on the optimal way of transmitting knowledge to the children, taking into account the different personalities of each child, while fully complying with the official programs as issued by the French Ministry of Education.
Respecting these principles will enable our students to always be in harmony with the world in which they live__and, as they grow up, to fully engage themselves in the path of their choice. Montessori students are often considered to be one year advanced in their learning when compared to those children of the same age enrolled in the traditional school system.
Freedom
It has been proved by scientific research that the most powerful drives for knowledge are interest and enthusiasm. This is why each child is free to engage in the activity of his/her choice. Each activity enables the child to observe and experience while using the five different senses which are essential to his/her healthy development.
Our students are allowed to speak in a soft voice and move around the classroom as long as the class work environment and progress of each child is respected
Respect for Each Child’s Learning Pace
We do not believe in labeling students as fast-learners or slow-learners. We do not believe in competition_ as each child advances at his/her own pace. Each child is naturally talented, and by respecting their individual rhythms, these talents will develop and express themselves at their own pace. The observation of each child by the educators will allow them to detect when the child is ready to reach a new stage in the learning process which are called « sensitive periods ». This more joyful and fulfilling process permits the child to advance in reading and mathematics at a faster pace. Profound respect for a child involves inviting him or her to respect others, therefore placing harmony at the center of the development of the child’s social life. A « Montessori Education » aims at fostering inner discipline.
Mixed-Age Classrooms
This environment boosts the older children’s self-confidence as they pass on their knowledge to their younger classmates, consolidates their learnings as they explain what they have understood to others, and teaches patience as well as respect.
The younger children consider their older classmates to be powerful role models, more powerful than any adult. As in a family, you can clearly observe how younger children are stimulated by their older siblings and acquire_ faster, better skills.
Last but not least, the mixed-aged environment contributes to developing extraordinary cooperating skills.
Bilingual Environment
Each day, the child spends one half day in an immersive French environment_ and one half-day in an immersive English environment, during which a native English-Speaking educator teaches both the language and the cultural aspects of the language. The idea is not to focus on teaching the English language as a subject, but to pursue the same activities both in English and in French, allowing the child to develop two universes of understanding and to use both languages in the same way.
The learning of a second language generates strong stimulations of the brain and cultural open-mindedness, as each language-related environment triggers different ways of thinking, learning, and acting. The child understands that there are different people than the ones he/she naturally finds in his/her environment, and that he/she can learn a new way of communicating with them, all of which strongly favors neuronal wiring and optimal development of the brain.
Self-Discipline
Since the environment is specifically tailored for the children, carefully prepared and rich with possibilities, they can learn by themselves through the autonomous manipulation of the scientifically-developed Montessori hands-on activities, and develop their capacity to self-motivate and self-evaluate. The materials are designed to allow self-correction, while the educators are there to help acknowledge errors as natural steps on the path to success.
Goals and Objectives
One of the greatest legacies of Maria Montessori’s work is the rich collection of science-based learning materials, designed to foster an optimal development for the child.
With their help, we will work every day on the following pillar goals:
Self-Confidence
and Self-Esteem
Self-Reliance
Self-Respect and Respect for Others
Self-Discipline
The Joy of Learning
Freedom within Set Parameters