Why Montessori?
With so many options to choose from in the Pioneer Valley, why choose Amherst Montessori School for your child? Beyond any answer you will read here, one of the most important factors is how you feel when you come through our doors. Do you like what you see? Can you imagine your child in our classrooms?
There are so many reasons why families choose Montessori for their children.
Known for individually paced learning and fostering independence, the Montessori Method also encourages empathy, a passion for social justice, and a joy in lifelong learning.
Given the freedom and support to question, to probe deeply, and to make connections, Montessori students become confident, enthusiastic, self-directed learners. They are able to think critically, work collaboratively, and act boldly—a skill set for the 21st century.
In Montessori schools:
- Each child is respected as a unique individual: Students are free to learn at their own pace, each advancing as they are ready, guided by the teacher and an individualized learning plan.
- Children are part of a close, multi-age, and supportive classroom community: In multi-age learning environments, older students are leaders, role models, and mentors; younger children are nurtured and gain confidence as they learn by experience and observation. All children learn the importance of community, and how the sum is greater than the parts. Each child understands that they are part of a loving community, gaining important social skills to support their future success.
- Highly-trained teachers guide children through the curriculum while modeling respect, loving kindness, and peaceful conflict resolution: Using detailed observation tools, teachers pay detailed attention to each child's interests, social-emotional development, and curriculum progress. Teachers help students engage deeply by presenting them with materials and activities that excite curiosity. Teachers are also trained to skillfully challenge students at precisely the right moment to advance in the curriculum based on individual readiness.
- Students develop strong executive functioning skills: Beginning at an early age, Montessori nurtures order, concentration, and independence. Intentional classroom design, materials, and daily routines support the student’s emerging “self-regulation” (the ability to educate one’s self, and to think about what one is learning), in toddlers through adolescents. Modern research "demonstrates that Montessori is one of the only curriculum models that has been empirically shown to improve executive function in children".