Ottawa Montessori School - kanata Montessori School

Montessori Principles

The structure and goals of a Montessori education are a direct product of the principles described here. Kanata Montessori embodies all of these principles, and these are what every parent should look for in a Montessori school:

Prepared Environment
The prepared environment is developmentally appropriate for children in order to meet their individual needs at each plane of development.  It is an environment that is prepared for the child. There are low shelves, enough floor space to work on, and an outdoor space. Furnishings are light, child-sized, and there is beauty in all the furniture.

 

Children Attend Five Days per Week
The Montessori method is a unique cycle of learning designed to take advantage of the child’s sensitive years.  Children attend five days per week so that each child becomes part of a regular classroom with the same peers each day.  This creates a stable environment for all the children.

 

Multi level Classrooms
Casa classrooms house children aged 3-6, and each primary classroom has children aged 6-9 or 9-14. Toddlers are 18 months to 3 years of age.  By having an appropriate balance of children, classrooms offer many opportunities among the children for mutual help. The older children help younger ones, reinforcing what they already know. The younger children are exposed to, and therefore stimulated by the work of the older children.

 

Complete set of Montessori Materials
In order for teachers to do their jobs properly, we need a complete set of materials in the classroom.  The materials in a Montessori classroom are didactic, which means the materials themselves help the child understand a learning or instruction.  Even though the materials are separated in areas for order, they are all interrelated for any area. The Montessori materials are designed to provide opportunities for each child to explore concrete examples of abstract ideas. The materials are beautiful, orderly and real.  For example, vases are breakable, and there is only one of each item in the classroom (there are some exceptions).

 

AMI Qualified Teachers
We need staff that understands the philosophy and the proper use of the materials, to ensure the best education for our children. We continue to strive to ensure that all teaching staff members have AMI accreditation, which is the preferred accreditation for its entire staff.

Following the Sensitive Periods and Absorbent Mind

In the first six years of life children possess an “absorbent mind” capable of interaction with his environment, and by modeling the behavior of others. It is through the involvement that the child adapts to the world around him, and gradually constructs his own mental capabilities, which he will later use to direct his activities.

Montessori also believed in the presence of  “sensitive periods”, limited periods of time in which a child shows intense interest in a particular aspect of the environment (language or writing, for example).  Natural development occurs at sensitive times and it is much easier for a child to develop a particular skill during the corresponding sensitive period than at any other time, and he will be very eager to do so.

 

A Non-Graded Environment:

In a Montessori school, emphasis is on each child’s sense of achievement and self-development. Children are presented a concept and then are allowed to repeat it as often as they like. This does away with competition, as the child is free to make mistakes and correct their own mistakes as well.  At the elementary level all students participate in the annual standardized testing using the Canadian Test of Basic Skills. Although the school does not grade students, it strives to give detailed information to parents about their child's progress.

 

Child Centered:

We must allow children the freedom and time to complete tasks, and must remember that children are learning concepts that may require some time to perfect.  We are helping the child to become an individual and independent. This independence will allow the children to learn self-help skills, which will allow them to function freely in our society. By having an environment, which is child centered and meets the needs of children we are allowing them to construct themselves.

 

Based in Reality (0-6yrs)

The Montessori classroom is based in reality because real children are in the process of constructing themselves for the real world. The child is becoming aware of the their reality during this age.

 

Three Hour Uninterrupted Work Cycle

A work cycle of three hours allows child adequate time to become involved in their work; to observe and then become significantly engaged in an activity.  As much as possible this three-hour work cycle is respected. This means there are no bells or morning "recess".  The students and the educator work in unison during the morning and children go outside based not on the clock but on their interests and as weather permits. Montessori education places a high value on respect for the environment. As such children of all ages spend significant amounts of time outside.

 

Use of Specialty Teachers in Casa

Having specialty teachers in the Casa classroom interrupts the three-hour work cycle. At this early age the child is still in the process of absorbing and are too young to be given direct lessons.  In order to balance the need for uninterrupted work times with the desire to have children learn a second language, Casa children have the opportunity to participate in French activities, just as in English. However, children in the middle of work are not disturbed. This allows children who are involved in their work to continue uninterrupted while concurrently providing the opportunity for second language acquisition.

 

For more information about the Montessori Method and Dr. Maria Montessori, please visit our page of Links.