The Montessori approach offers a broad vision of education as an aid to life. It is designed to help children with their task of inner construction as they grow from childhood to maturity. It succeeds because it draws its principles from the natural mental and physical "clocks" in children that make them more receptive to learning particular skills and subjects at specific times in their lives. Its flexibility provides a matrix within which each individual child's inner directives freely guide the child toward wholesome growth.
 
Careful observation, coupled with experience and training, allows teachers to know when each child is ready for a new learning opportunity. Teachers respond by selecting and presenting new materials and lessons which contribute to the child's academic growth and emotional, social and physical development.  Thus, though learning is self-paced, it is not random.  Recognizing that children often learn best by helping one another, the curriculum is based on a constructive and mutually beneficial mix of older and younger children. As a result, learning is enhanced by observing others and by helping others to learn -- experiences that strengthen understanding, self-confidence, mutual respect and leadership skills -- no matter how much the interests, needs and abilities of the children may differ by age.

These children take charge of their education resulting in a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. They do not wait for external approval and evaluation to feel good about the quality of their work as they are fully capable of taking responsibility for themselves, others and their environment because they believe it’s the appropriate way to live.

Our graduates are not only well prepared to succeed in later education; they are unusually prepared to succeed in life in general.

Montessori education achieves these goals by supporting the following truths about learning, which are based on scientific observation.

•Children have particular needs, many which vary according to their developmental stage (planes of development.) For example, all children need an ordered, loving environment.  They all must do things themselves to learn best how to do it. They all also need respect as capable, independent workers.  Additionally, Primary children need real learning experiences for their absorbent mind and they need opportunities to build skills when they are most able and willing to learn (sensitive periods).

•Each child has natural abilities -- strengths and challenges.   
Montessori education assures that children learn all the “necessary” information for success in future schooling, while giving them the opportunity to develop optimally both their individual strengths and gain coping skills to work with their challenges.

•Each child learns best at his/her own style and pace.     
Montessori provides the opportunity to learn from different senses and with different approaches.  Additionally, multi-age classrooms naturally allow children to develop at their own pace without stigma both for advanced learners and learners with particular challenges.

•Learning ultimately belongs to each child.                           
Each child ultimately determines what to learn (not memorize and forget), who to become, and how to fit into society. Each child learns best what he/she wants to learn. Montessori education creates an environment where children want to learn -- this supports optimal individual learning.