Fox Valley Montessori School

The world of the child is full of sights and sounds which at first appear chaotic. From
this chaos, the child has the natural ability to gradually create order and to learn to
distinguish among the impressions that assail the senses, slowly gaining mastery of
the self and the environment. The philosophy behind the Montessori education is that
every child carries unseen within him or her, the adult s/he will become. To develop
the emerging physical, intellectual, and spiritual powers to the fullest, the child must
have a certain freedom to develop a freedom to be achieved through order and self-
discipline. The Montessori method nurtures the individual development of each child,
cognitively, emotionally, physically, socially and spiritually, allowing the child to unfold
into his or her fullest potential.

Dr. Maria Montessori envisioned what she called the Prepared Environment which
possesses a certain order and disposes the child to develop at his or her own speed,
according to his or her own capacities, and in a non-competitive atmosphere during
the first school years. Never let a child risk failure until he has a reasonable chance of
success, said Dr. Montessori, understanding the necessity for the acquisition of a basic
skill before its use in a competitive learning situation. The years between three and six
are the years a child learns the ground rules of human behavior and these years can
be constructively devoted to what Dr. Montessori described as civilizing the child

preparing the child through her unfolding understanding of grace and courtesy, respect
and mutual regard, through her own moral development, to take her place in the world.

The Montessori child is freer at a later age to devote his/her energies to the
development of intellectual faculties. The method which children are taught in
the Montessori school might well be called, structured learning. The structure of
Montessori curriculum involves the use of many materials with which the child may
work independently. at every step of the way, the teaching material is designed to
test understanding and to inherently correct errors. In this environment, children
develop a concrete understanding through manipulation of materials that support future
abstractions.

In addition to the prepared environment, the Classroom Director facilitates each childs
emotional and social development by fostering relationships between and among
children and their peers. The Classroom Directors relationship is a crucial component
to establish trust with each child. The child feels comfortable enough to learn to engage
in academic, behavioral and personal exploration. It is from this relationship with the
Classroom Director that a child can transfer a sense of security and form relationships
with his/her peers. A high priority is placed on interpersonal skills and developing
relationships, and interpersonal interaction is encouraged in the classroom as an
integral part of learning and developing.