Why Montessori Education is Important

 It provides a child-centered, holistic approach to learning that develops independence, self-discipline, critical thinking, and social-emotional skills through hands-on, self-paced activities in a prepared environment. This method nurtures a lifelong love of learning by focusing on the individual child's intrinsic motivation and fostering a deep understanding of the world and their place within it. 

Montessori is a method of education that is based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. In Montessori classrooms children make creative choices in their learning, while the classroom and the highly trained teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process. Children work in groups and individually to discover and explore knowledge of the world and to develop their maximum potential.

Montessori classrooms are beautifully crafted environments designed to meet the needs of children in a specific age range. Dr. Maria Montessori discovered that experiential learning in this type of classroom led to a deeper understanding of language, mathematics, science, music, social interactions and much more. Most Montessori classrooms are secular in nature, although the Montessori educational method can be integrated successfully into a faith-based program.

Every material in a Montessori classroom supports an aspect of child development, creating a match between the child’s natural interests and the available activities. Children can learn through their own experience and at their own pace. They can respond at any moment to the natural curiosities that exist in all humans and build a solid foundation for life-long learning.

The Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) was established by Maria Montessori in 1929 to protect the integrity of her work and to support high standards for both teacher training and schools. Today, AMI continues to uphold Maria Montessori’s vision while collaborating with contemporary research in neuroscience and child development. Montessori Northwest is proud to be an official teacher training center of AMI, training teachers to work with children from birth to age twelve.

INFANT/TODDLER

for children ages birth to three years

provide a safe, engaging and nurturing 

environment for the child

promote trust in themselves and their world

develop confidence in their emerging abilities

develop gross motor coordination, fine motor skills, and language skills

offer opportunities to gain independence in daily tasks.

PRIMARY

for children ages three to six year

foster the growth of functional 

independence, task persistence and 

self-regulation

promote social development through respectful, 

clear communication and safe, natural consequences

contain a large variety of materials for the refinement of sensory perception and the development of literacy and mathematical understanding

offer opportunities for imaginative exploration leading to confident, creative self-expression.

ELEMENTARY

for children ages six to twelve years

offer opportunities for collaborative intellectual

exploration in which the child’s interests are

supported and guided

support the development of self-confidence, imagination, 

intellectual independence and self-efficacy

foster an understanding of the child’s role in their community, in their culture and in the natural world.

ADOLESCENCE

for children ages twelve to eighteen years

ideally a working farm in which adolescents 

engage in all aspects of farm administration and 

economic interdependence, but also include non-

farm environments in urban settings

assist the young adult in the understanding of oneself in wider and wider frames of reference

provide a context for practical application of academics

emphasize the development of self-expression, true self-reliance, and agility in interpersonal relationships.