8.) What special training do your teachers have?
9) What is a public Montessori program?
1.) What is the difference between Montessori and traditional education?
Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own pace and plan their work time independently, according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline and a love of learning. Children learn in multi-age classes, forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. Montessori represents an entirely different and very effective approach to education with a curriculum based in the studies of geography, history, zoology, and botany.
2.) Is Montessori good for children with learning disabilities? What about gifted children?
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 contributes. Moreover, multi-age grouping allows each child to find his or her own pace without feeling "ahead" or "behind" in relation to peers. Students do not receive letter grades and learning is co-operative rather than competitive. Our district has a resource program with speech and occupational therapy for students with identified needs.
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3.) Can I do Montessori at home with my child?
Yes, you can use Montessori principles of child development at home. Look at your home though your child's eyes. Children need a sense of belonging and they get it by participating fully in the routines of everyday life. "Help me do it by myself" is the life theme of the child. Can you find ways for your child to participate in meal preparation, cleaning, gardening, caring for clothes, shoes and toys? Providing opportunities for independence is the surest way to build your child's self-esteem.
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4.) What part does the teacher play in guiding the child?
The teacher builds on the natural human tendencies toward exploration, hard work, creativity and communication to create a learning environment that heeds the evolving passions of the children. Through extensive observation and record-keeping, the teacher plans individual projects to enable each child to learn what he needs to progress. Each class has a teacher’s aide during the morning, so both the teacher and aide present small group lessons.
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5.) How much are parents involved? How frequent is communication with teachers?
We encourage as much parent participation as possible. These hours may be devoted to whatever activity to which the parents feel they can most effectively contribute- for example, special classroom projects, field trips, preparation of classroom materials, gardening, special skills, etc. Many parents take a very active role in assisting in the enrichment of their child's classroom and spend many hours doing so. There are opportunities to communicate briefly with teachers on a daily basis after 3:00 p.m. and requests for longer discussions may be made at any time during the academic year. Formal parent/teacher conferences are scheduled in October and January.
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6.) Are Montessori children successful later in life?
Studies show that Montessori children are well prepared for later life academically, socially and emotionally. In addition to scoring well on standardized tests, Montessori children have a sense of social responsibility, a stewardship for the world that comes from realizing they are citizens of the world. Graduates of Montessori programs are known to be responsible, ask provocative questions, show enthusiasm for learning, adapt easily to new situations, and resolve conflicts peacefully.
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7.) Are your Montessori schools religious?
Our schools are independent of any religious affiliation. We believe it is important to nurture the spirit of the child and to respect all religious beliefs and spiritual paths.
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8.) What special training do your teachers have?
The traditional Montessori training is at least a full year of graduate level work for each of the multi-age groupings and stages of development of children. We have at least one certified (or partially certified) Montessori teacher and one aide in each classroom and often have an additional teacher in training.
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9) What is a public Montessori program?
Lagunitas Public Montessori is a unique program based upon the teachings of Maria Montessori offered within a public school setting. Our curriculum meets the California educational guidelines while maintaining a commitment to the Montessori philosophy. Dr. Montessori believed that students learn a tremendous amount from each other and that they benefit from mixed age groupings.
Our program spans kindergarten through fifth grade and most of our classes are taught to mixed grade groups. All of our teachers hold a California teaching credential and have received formal Montessori training.
What makes our program stand out is that the students enjoy the opportunity to learn in a creative and orderly environment. Each day begins with a morning circle where students and teachers share stories and information. Then the teacher assigns various lessons and the children work independently, often in small groups. The teacher also leads small group lessons and the aide leads a lesson and assists students. The classroom is arranged to facilitate the curriculum and the children help to maintain its cleanliness and order. Montessori students take pride in their work, are treated with respect, and learn to be respectful of others.
In addition to learning the required basics, Montessori students learn “education for peace” which encompasses cultural studies, science, social science, history, botany, zoology and geography. There is also an emphasis on environmental studies not found in traditional programs. Students participate in many field trips as well. They develop a broader understanding of the world as a whole.
Montessori students also enjoy celebrations and rituals based upon a framework of cultural studies as well as Spring and Autumn Equinox, Historical Halloween and a celebration for each child’s birthday.
Parents are encouraged to participate through classroom volunteering, driving on field trips, attending parent/teacher meetings, fundraising and making decisions that affect our program. The Montessori Program depends on annual pledge donations and fundraising efforts in order to provide an exceptional educational opportunity for our children.
To learn more about our unique program, please call Linda Craig at 488-9437 to arrange a classroom tour during the week of February 2 through 6.
We look forward to meeting you!
- Lagunitas Public Montessori Parents and Staff.
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