Montessori Villa

The Montessori approach begins with the acknowledged potential of each child and provides for cognitive physical and spiritual development through a specially “prepared environment” and allows children to learn at their own speed according to their own capacities and in a non-competitive atmosphere. She recognized that true learning only resulted from the self-motivation of the child. Children move themselves towards learning. The teacher prepares the environment directs the activity and offers the child stimulation but it is the child who learns who is motivated through work itself (not solely by the teacher’s personality) to persist in a given task. Once the child has experienced success in an activity there is often motivation to repeat it many times in one session. Thus the development of concentration self-esteem self-discipline and independence begins. Montessori teaches children to observe to think and to judge. It introduces children to the joy of learning at an early stage and provides a framework in which intellectual and social discipline go hand-in-hand. Dr. Montessori placed strong emphasis on providing a peaceful and orderly environment. For this reason classes are structured with a three-year age range (3-6 6-9 9-12).

Children learn to work independently but always within the context of a wider community with differing ages and abilities. The younger child is exposed to the exciting work of older classmates and the older child has a chance to reinforce knowledge through demonstration to the younger ones. Opportunities to practice newly acquired social skills – grace – courtesy and respect for others – occur naturally within everyday class life. The environment provides natural social interaction and development. It allows the positive aspects of the child’s personality to assert themselves and to become habit.