Why Montessori?
This video provides an excellent representation of what sets the Montessori Philosophy apart. The primary goal of Montessori education is to help children reach their full potential. The Montessori Method of Education is supported by over a century of research and its foundation is recognized by developmental researchers, child psychologists, teachers, schools and colleges all over the world.
Below are just some among the vast number of benefits derived from Montessori education (Also see: Why AMI Montessori?). Above all, AMI Montessori children are:
- Happy, self-motivated and enthusiastic learners
- Better socialized and able to solve their conflicts
- Fluent readers and masters of abstract mathematical concepts
- Well advanced in grade placements
- In possession of natural self-esteem, courteous and compassionate
Other important principles include:
- Children are guided to learn at their own pace, through individualized lessons and specialized materials.
- Lessons are introduced in stages, starting with very simple and concrete, allowing for a thorough understanding of the subject and a sense of achievement. Overtime, lessons are added higher levels of complexity and abstraction until the more advanced concepts are fully mastered, thereby also cementing the child’s self-confidence, independence and self-esteem.
- The curriculum is organized into overlapping subjects rather than individual ones. This approach enables children to study over extended periods of time the various aspects and levels of each topic, while solidifying the understanding of the core concepts and avoiding over-reliance on memorization.
- Multi-age class groups and a variety of group activities throughout the day establish advanced cross-learning, profound socialization and leadership opportunities.
For additional information about the benefits of Montessori, please visit our section “Montessori vs. Traditional Preschools”. The following guide about identifying the proper Montessori school for your family is worthwhile reading: Finding and Authentic Montessori School
- AMI - Association Montessori Internationale
- AMI-USA - Association Montessori International
- Why AMI-Montessori?
- Find an Authentic Montessori School
- Montessori Environments and AMI Classroom Standards
- AMI-USA Resources & Publications
Additional Information: What is the Montessori Method?
AMI, or the Association Montessori Internationale, is the supervising body that accredits schools using the Montessori Method, developed by Maria Montessori in the early years of the 20th century. The AMI Montessori Method is based on the idea that children naturally crave learning, and that the idea, resistance and feeling that ‘learning is a chore’ only comes when we stifle child, by forcing concepts and learning styles that they aren’t naturally ready for at a particular stage, or by using the incorrect approach.
Studies show that when traditional ideas of reward and punishment are attached to any task, learning activities included, that task becomes seen as just that: Work done to earn rewards and avoid punishments. Montessori schools are different. Whether your child is at an AMI Montessori school in Austin, Texas or anywhere else around the world, he/she enjoy a curriculum that is individualized and sprouts interest in learning, and not one that is merely designed around standardized tests and state educational goals.
In a Montessori academy like ours, the goals of education are different. They are not a means to an end, nor a way of helping children achieve higher grades that they can compare to their peers or a way to push them through the educational system. Although our educational curriculums comply to state guidelines, our application of the authentic Montessori principles instill in children the desire for learning, while fostering creativity and helping their natural inquisitiveness bloom.
Montessori classrooms give children the tools to teach themselves, to understand what exactly do they want to learn and what kind of help they need to learn it. When you think about it, this is how exceptional people — and through them, exceptional discoveries and inventions — come to be. It’s about asking “why?”, not because you need to know the answer, but because you want to know the answer.
That’s what Montessori education is all about. It’s no wonder some of our greatest innovators and creators, like world-famous chef Julia Child, Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Academy Award winning actors George Clooney and Helen Hunt, violinist Joshua Bell and music icon Sean Combs, are among those who can boast of a Montessori school education.
When Should I Start My Child at an AMI Montessori School?
Is it ever too soon to start your child at an AMI Montessori school? Well, you won’t be taking your newborn straight from the hospital to Montessori, but ideally, Montessori should be introduced at toddler-age, between the ages 18 and 36 months.
A Montessori education will benefit your child most if you keep them in Montessori schools throughout their early educational experience, at the very least through Kindergarten. In fact, once your child starts at a Montessori school, they will no doubt be eager to continue with the Montessori program as long as possible, since it is student-focused — something that most students will embrace and greatly benefit from.
Furthermore, if you’re looking for the best AMI Montessori school in North Cedar Park, you should know that Sapientia Montessori School and Cedar Park Montessori School are among the very few that offer an advanced and fully recognized Montessori Program for Elementary education. This program holds great congruence with educationally advanced, or gifted and talented children, who wish to pursue even higher levels learning through the Montessori Curriculum.
If you’ve been on the lookout for an AMI Montessori accredited school in the North Austin, TX area, look no further. The best AMI Montessori school in Central Texas is right here. Just contact us to learn more about all the wonderful educational opportunities we can provide your children.
Serving Families in Central Texas including: Cedar Park, Leander, Round Rock, Georgetown, Pflugerville and surrounding communities
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