The Montessori method, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori a century ago through her work with underserved children in Rome, is based on the observation that children naturally and eagerly learn from their surroundings carefully guided by a properly prepared adult. Montessori emphasizes the critical role of the prepared classroom environment and the power of exploration. The adults’ role is to be the dynamic link between the child and the environment, using observation as a cornerstone to guide each child’s learning. Children in these settings receive abundant individualized attention and lessons.

Early learners, three to six are grouped together in a classroom environment prepared explicitly for their common developmental needs. Children are seen as capable and are empowered to make choices. To that end, all aspects of the classroom-including pedagogically custom furniture, materials, taking charge of the daily maintenance tasks each day etcetera allow them to have agency in their classroom, fostering independence and building grace and confidence.

Classroom environments emphasize beauty and order to spark engagement.

Over the course of three years in this environment, children work with several hundred hands-on materials tailored to isolate and scaffold concepts and support the development of key skills, such as independence, concentration, working memory, and confidence in addition to academic skills. These materials are designed to stimulate the senses and inspire hands-on exploration and experimentation. Furthermore, the mix of different aged students lets younger children learn from older peers and helps older children reinforce their learning by teaching concepts they have already mastered while developing leadership skills.