6 Reasons Why Montessori Will Work for Your Student
Perhaps you have a friend with a child in a Montessori program. Maybe you have heard about Montessori at a local school. Or maybe you just stumbled across it online.
It all sounds great in theory, doesn’t it? An environment that fosters a deep love for learning; teachers trained to meet the needs of each individual child; a classroom community that provides an opportunity for all children to develop independence.
But, in the back of your head, a nagging question remains: “Will Montessori really work for my student?”
Well, there is a reason why top innovators, including founders of Amazon and Google are Montessori kids!
You Are Not Alone
It’s a common question that most parents ask when researching Montessori education.
The reality is that most of us never had an opportunity to attend an authentic Montessori school when we were students. Many of the experiences in a Montessori classroom are the complete opposite our own experiences in school. So, it’s completely understandable to question the efficacy of something so new for your own child!
Another questions most parents ask is “Isn’t Montessori approach for little kids only?!”
There are over 20,000 Montessori schools globally, many of which are very successful Montessori middle and high schools around the world. There are 4,000 Montessori schools in the US alone. Secondary Montessori schools are unique in offering a variety of rigorous academic programs such as International Baccalaureate (IB) or Advanced Placement (AP), augmented with environmental studies and farming, project based learning and applied knowledge.
Montessori education shapes the lives of thousands of students throughout the world. And, there are an infinite number of reasons why Montessori will work for your student. But, let’s talk about 6 significant reasons why your child will thrive in a quality Montessori program:
1. Your Student Will Learn by Doing: Your child will be exposed to hundreds of specially designed programs that invite real-life exploration. She will choose what she wants to explore, creating strong neural pathways that contribute to the construction of a strong brain.
2. Your Student Will Learn From and Teach Others: Have you ever heard the expression “The best way to learn something is to teach it?” This happens every day in our Montessori classrooms. Older students are grouped with younger students in projects and peer evaluations. Younger students look up to their older peers who are doing all the incredible things and set their bar higher, while older students learn to be mentors and leaders to their younger peers.
3. The Curriculum Adapts to Your Child: Most conventional education programs assume that all students, born within a year of each other, are capable of learning and doing the same thing at the same time. As we all know, that simply isn’t true! Many bright children are bored, and others, who need more time to learn, are left behind when we teach to the whole class.
We recognize that your child has his own unique timetable for development and will learn different parts of the curriculum when he is ready. We teach to the individual needs of your student, not to the entire class or to a group of children.
4. Creative Classrooms Inspire Your Child to Learn: Our Montessori classrooms are beautiful and inviting. They call out to your student “Come touch me! Come explore!” From the latest technology to indoor gardens, many of which are designed by students themselves, all are made to inspire creativity and critical thinking. Everything supports your student’s developing independence and helps him gain confidence in himself and his abilities.
5. The Teacher Really Knows Your Child: “Follow the child” is the mantra uttered by all well-trained Montessori teachers. They are trained to observe and to support each individual child. They take the time to get to know your child’s strengths, challenges and interests. They plan lessons for your child based on their observations of him.
6. Your Child Will Be in Good Company: Many of the most successful and creative people in our modern society are former Montessori students.
- Larry Page and Sergey Brin (cofounders of Google)
- Jeff Bezos
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
- Sean “P. Diddy” Combs
- Prince William and Prince Harry
- Julia Child
- Anne Hathaway
- Chelsea Clinton
- Beyoncé Knowles
- Peter Drucker (business guru and lecturer)
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Nobel Prize-winning novelist)
You Have to See It to Believe It
Your student deserves the very best. Enrolling your child in a Montessori school gives her the opportunity to be seen as a unique individual; she will be receiving a tailor-made education designed especially for her.
What are you waiting for? Go and observe a Montessori program (schedule a tour here) and give your child the gift that will last a lifetime.
