Montessori School House

A child’s mind is like a sponge, constantly absorbing and processing information, determining consequences of actions and understanding how to navigate the world. Dr. Maria Montessori describes this ability as the “absorbent mind.” She desired to create a learning environment that stimulates and caters to this important aspect of childhood development, and as such, the Montessori School House was born.

Using a “structured freedom” approach, the Montessori School’s teachers (“directresses”) foster a setting that cultivates the child’s imagination, allowing them to be creative and think outside the box, but to do so while working alongside others. Each directress keeps a watchful eye on every student, demonstrating discipline, supportively guiding them, and staying constantly aware of the child’s readiness for specific, new material. This right-material-at-the-right-time mentality keeps children constantly evolving as individuals, but at a pace suitable to their particular personality.

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Mixing lessons on practical life, language, cultural studies, music and more, creative minds are encouraged, promoting the potential of each child in ways uncommon to traditional educational routes.

Q:  How does the Montessori School create an environment and curriculum that caters to and stimulates the child’s “absorbent mind”, and what are the benefits of this approach?

A: “What a child will find at Montessori School is a venue that caters to their individual needs. An environment that encourages creativity and outside-the-box thinking, but also educates children on how to work with others in a disciplined manner; the opportunity to solve problems their way, but to also cooperate with others. Our directresses act similar to movie directors, setting the stage and pointing the way, but allowing the child to engage the curriculum how they see fit. This not only teaches the child to comfortably operate in society, but to develop their imagination and ability to problem solve in manners superior to traditional educational means,” says Margie Bernadette, administrator at Vaughan’s Montessori School House.

www.montessorischoolhouse.ca, 9730 Dufferin St., Maple, Ont. 905.303.0011