PHILOSOPHY

Gables Montessori School utilizes the Montessori Method of education and Montessori materials developed by Dr. Maria Montessori.

Dr. Montessori believed that children learn best by doing, not by passively accepting other people's ideas and pre-existing knowledge. Believing that the young child had more potential than educators realized, she began to develop this potential by teaching the young child through his natural interest in exploring the world. Her developmentally appropriate approach was designed to individually accommodate each child's unique abilities. She devoted her life to the education of children. Her teaching techniques are presently used in public and private school classrooms all over the world.

The goal of a Montessori education is to help children become responsible, self-motivated learners competent in all areas of life. The Montessori method recognizes "sensitive periods" in a child - especially three to six year olds - when he or she can absorb information from enriched hands on environment provided to him or her. There is a "sensitive period" for all the things a child must learn to become a functioning adult - for learning new words, for counting, for using a pencil, for an appreciation of order and more. The Montessori classroom encourages this natural appetite of the child by offering age-appropriate materials to satisfy his or her intense desire for knowledge. A child who acquires the basic skills of reading and mathematics in this natural way has the advantage of beginning his education without pressure, boredom or discouragement. By pursuing his or her individual interests in a Montessori classroom at an early age, he or she gains an early enthusiasm for learning, which is the key to becoming a truly educated person. The teacher works toward developing the child's sense of order, concentration and coordination.