Our Philosophy
The Montessori Method
More than a style of teaching — it's a way of seeing the child. Montessori follows the child's natural curiosity, giving each one the freedom, the materials, and the time to discover the joy of learning for themselves.
"Follow the child."
A guiding idea from Dr. Maria Montessori, who opened her first classroom in 1907.
- 1907
- The method began
- 0
- Areas of curriculum
- 0-hr
- Uninterrupted work cycle
- 0-yr
- Multi-age classrooms
Child-led,
not child-left-alone
01 — The Basics
What is Montessori education?
Montessori is a child-centered approach developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator, beginning in 1907. After years of carefully observing how children actually learn, she designed a classroom built around one simple truth: children are naturally driven to explore, and they learn best by doing.
Instead of sitting and listening to a teacher direct the whole room, children choose meaningful, hands-on activities and work at their own pace. The teacher steps back into the role of a guide — observing each child, then offering the right lesson at the right moment. The result is an environment where independence, concentration, and a genuine love of learning grow naturally.
The Prepared Environment
Every shelf, tool, and material is child-sized, beautiful, and within reach — an ordered space designed so children can choose, work, and clean up entirely on their own.
The Child Leads
Children follow their own curiosity and repeat work as often as they like. This freedom — within clear, caring limits — builds focus, confidence, and intrinsic motivation that lasts.
The Guide Observes
The teacher — a trained guide — watches closely to see when a child is ready for something new, then gives a quiet, individual lesson. Less lecturing, more guiding.
02 — Side by Side
Montessori vs. traditional school
Both want children to thrive. They simply take very different paths to get there. Here's how a typical day compares.
The Montessori Classroom
- ✓ Children choose their work and move at their own pace
- ✓ Mixed ages learn together in three-year spans
- ✓ Long, uninterrupted work cycles — no bells
- ✓ Hands-on, self-correcting materials
- ✓ Motivation grows from within the child
- ✓ Freedom to move, explore, and discover
A Traditional Classroom
- One pace is set for the whole class at once
- Single-grade rooms grouped strictly by age
- Fixed periods broken up by bells and transitions
- Textbooks, worksheets, and graded tests
- Stars, grades, and rewards drive effort
- Assigned desks and scheduled seat time
Neither list is a criticism — many wonderful schools are traditional. Montessori is simply built around the child's own rhythm rather than the clock's.
03 — The Curriculum
The five areas of the Montessori curriculum
The classroom is organized into five connected areas. A child begins with the most concrete, hands-on work and gradually moves toward bigger, more abstract ideas — each area quietly preparing the mind for the next.
Practical Life
The first home of every new child. By pouring water, buttoning a coat, slicing a banana, or polishing a mirror, children master the everyday tasks of caring for themselves and their space. These simple activities build concentration, coordination, order, and the deep satisfaction of "I can do it myself" — the foundation that every other area is built on.
Sensorial
Beautiful materials that isolate a single quality — size, color, weight, sound, or texture — so children can refine their senses and learn to compare, sort, and order the world. It's the quiet groundwork that makes math and language click later on.
Mathematics
In Montessori, children hold a number before they ever write one. Using golden beads, number rods, and bead chains, big ideas like place value, the decimal system, and the four operations start as something a child can touch, count, and trade — then slowly become abstract.
Language & Reading
Children trace sandpaper letters to feel each sound, then build whole words with a moveable alphabet — often writing before they read. Paired with rich conversation and a love of stories, language unfolds naturally, in the order that makes sense to a young mind.
Geography & Culture
With puzzle maps, globes, and land-and-water forms, children explore the wider world — its continents, plants, animals, and the people who live differently than they do. This is where wonder, science, and respect for our shared planet take root.
04 — The Rhythm of the Day
The three-hour work cycle
Montessori protects one long, unbroken block of time each morning — usually around three hours — with no bells, no forced transitions. Within it, a beautiful rhythm appears, the same one Dr. Montessori observed over a century ago.
- 1First hour
Settling In
Children arrive, greet the room, and choose their first work. Focus builds gently as each child eases into the morning at their own speed.
- 2The dip
"False Fatigue"
Mid-morning, the room can look restless — children wander or chat. It's tempting to redirect them. Left undisturbed, this passing lull is exactly what comes before the best work.
- 3The peak
Deep Concentration
The room grows calm and absorbed. Children settle into long, self-chosen work with remarkable focus — the rich, productive stretch Montessori called the "great work."
- 4Conclusion
Restoring Order
The cycle ends not with a bell, but with a sense of completion. Children put away their final work, clean their workspace, and gather for a group song or snack.
05 — The Community
Why we mix ages in one classroom
In most schools, children are grouped by their birth year. In Montessori, we group them in three-year spans. For our preschool, that means ages 3, 4, and 5 learn together in a single, stable community.
Natural Mentorship
Older children reinforce their own knowledge by helping younger ones. They grow into leaders, while younger children learn by watching their more experienced peers.
A Secure "Family" Rhythm
A child stays with the same teacher and in the same room for three years. This long-term relationship builds deep trust and a sense of belonging that you won't find in single-year grades.
One Room · Ages 3–6
3 years togetherYear 1: Discovery & Adaptation
Year 2: Explosive Growth & Skills
Year 3: Leadership & Mastery
06 — The Big Picture
Is Montessori right for your child?
If you're looking for an environment where your child is seen as an individual, where they are allowed to follow their own interests, and where "freedom within limits" helps them grow into a confident, independent learner, then Montessori is likely a wonderful fit.
And if that doesn't sound exactly like your child yet — that's perfectly normal. The prepared environment gently draws these qualities out of nearly every young learner.
Parents often choose Montessori because they want their child to…
- ✓ Grow genuinely independent and self-motivated
- ✓ Develop deep focus and a love for work
- ✓ Learn in a way that respects their own pace
- ✓ Be part of a caring, mixed-age community
See It For Yourself
Reading about Montessori is one thing — watching it is another
Spend a morning with us in Claremont. Watch the work cycle unfold, see the materials in little hands, and picture your own child in the room. We'd love to show you around.