THE MONTESSORI PHILOSOPHY
AND THE CHILDREN’S CIRCLE SCHOOL

The primary goal of the Children’s Circle Montessori School is to assist the child to cultivate his own natural desire to learn about himself and the world around him.

In the Montessori classroom this objective is approached in two ways: first, by allowing each child to experience the excitement of learning by making his own choices rather than being forced to do things; and second, by helping him to perfect all of his natural tools for learning, so that his abilities will be enhanced to cope with future learning situations. The Montessori materials have this dual long-range purpose, in addition to their immediate purpose of giving to the child specific information.

Our school curriculum has five main areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language and Reading, Mathematics, and Socio-Cultural-Science. Through the use of the Montessori materials and the Montessori educational method, the child can learn to read, write, and calculate in the same natural way that he learns to walk and talk. He is invited to do this at his own pace of interest and readiness. He develops coordination, concentration, attention to detail, good working habits, a sense of cooperation, and most important, confidence in his own abilities. It should be noted that the Socio-cultural area involves work in geography, history, science, art, customs, etc., and it promotes the child’s understanding of the larger world.

Our classrooms are multiage classrooms. Primary I consists of children between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. Primary II consists of children between the ages of 3 and 6. (most children transfer from Primary I to Primary II at around 3 years of age and continue in Primary II through their kindergarten year.) These diverse classrooms allow the younger children to learn from the older children and gives the older children an opportunity to teach the young children, thus further developing the self-esteem of all the children.

The basic premises of the Montessori Method may be stated quite simply as follows:

---Child’s right to be respected

---Concentration

---Decision-making

---Freedom of choice

---Independence

---Consideration for others

---Reality

---Organization

---Order, beauty, and cleanliness

---Child leads by own interest

---Positive reinforcement

---Teacher’s role as a guide