Montessori education is a method of education that was developed by Maria Montessori in the early 1900’s. This method is a child-led, self-paced, hands-on approach that fosters independence, self-regulation, and critical thinking skills through age-appropriate materials. All items in the classroom are child-sized and are strategically arranged for the child to freely choose the lesson, or work, they would like to do. The lessons can be done either at a table or on a rug, individually or in a small group.

The classroom is guided by knowledgeable, caring teachers as well as from older peers. The freedom of choice in the Montessori classroom allows the child to gain confidence in decision making as well as helps develop critical thinking skills and an excitement for learning. This method has been shown to help students become confident, enthusiastic, self-directed learners who are accountable to themselves and their community. They think critically and work collaboratively with others with integrity.

Some former Montessori students you may know:

• Anne Frank (Diary of Anne Frank)
• Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com founder)
• Stephen Curry (NBA-Golden State Warriors)
• Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Google.com founders)
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Nobel-prize winning author)