Montessori Method
American Montessori Academy fosters an enriching, nurturing and diverse education environment where each child is encouraged to grow to his or her fullest academic, social, emotional, spiritual and intellectual potential.
Montessori Method
American Montessori Academy fosters an enriching, nurturing and diverse education environment where each child is encouraged to grow to his or her fullest academic, social, emotional, spiritual and intellectual potential.
A Truly Authentic Montessori Method Experience
We have adopted the Montessori Philosophy as our way of life — and believe with consistent, authentic methodology, we cultivate a meaningful and rewarding school experience for your child. We use the Montessori Method of education. It is based on a deep respect for the individual child, recognizing that basic drivers of young children are to grow, learn, and develop a sense of order, a love of learning, self-confidence, inner discipline and concentration.
Beautiful, inviting, and thoughtfully arranged environments embody each element of Maria Montessori’s revolutionary approach. In the Montessori classroom, the space is divided into several logical areas that expose children to a wide range of activities including math, science, language, arts and crafts, socialization, large/small muscle group activities, and general learning based upon the Montessori Method. Age-appropriate environments — varying across classrooms that are specific to the developmental stages — nurture children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.
Given the freedom and support to question, probe deeply, and make connections, Montessori students grow up to be confident, enthusiastic, and self-directed learners and citizens, accountable to both themselves and their community. They think critically, work collaboratively, and act boldly and with integrity.
Skills of independence, self-discipline, problem-solving and a secure foundation of early academic knowledge develop spontaneously within a Montessori environment.
Some of the hallmarks include:
Credentialed Montessori teachers have the skills and expertise to implement high-fidelity Montessori.
Classrooms with multi-age communities facilitate mentorship among the students and encourage leadership development.
Specially designed materials that children are naturally drawn to work with provide a hands-on approach to learning.
Students are encouraged to self-select work, leading to intrinsic motivation, a sustained attention span and positive attitude towards the joy of learning.
Students are given an extended period of ‘free choice’ with direction to develop independence and enable them to work at their own pace without interruption.
Montessori Education vs. Traditional Education
Montessori Education vs. Traditional Education
Skills of independence, self-discipline, problem-solving and a secure foundation of early academic knowledge develop spontaneously within a Montessori environment.
Some of the hallmarks include:
Credentialed Montessori teachers have the skills and expertise to implement high-fidelity Montessori.
Classrooms with multi-age communities facilitate mentorship among the students and encourage leadership development.
Specially designed materials that children are naturally drawn to work with provide a hands-on approach to learning.
Students are encouraged to self-select work, leading to intrinsic motivation, a sustained attention span and positive attitude towards the joy of learning.
Students are given an extended period of ‘free choice’ with direction to develop independence and enable them to work at their own pace without interruption.
Montessori Education vs. Traditional Education
 |
Montessori Environment | Traditional Classroom |
| Child is led toward… | independence, academically as well as through social problem solving using prepared kinesthetic materials; with emphasis on conceptual understanding; incorporated control of error; specially developed reference materials. | textbook-driven curriculum; pencil and paper, worksheets and dittos primary source instructional material dependence from adults, who are the main providers of learning, discipline, social problem solving. |
| Working and learning… | matched to the social development of the child. | without emphasis on social development. |
| Curriculum is… | unified, internationally developed and proven. | often narrow and unit-driven. |
| Education is set to… | each child’s individual academic level; with subject choices made by the student. | a blanket approach to teaching- where everyone is doing the same thing at the same time. |
| Work cycles are… | uninterrupted to allow the child to complete tasks before moving on to the next. | period lessons with block times. |
| Classrooms are… | multi-age wit active, softly-conversing students with periods of quiet and freedom to move. | divided by single grades with passive students who are limited to desks and problematic transition times. |
| Schools are designed to… | meet the needs of all students, from the academically gifted to the challenged. | serve mid-level achieving students, whereby the student fit the mold of the school. |
| Cooperative learning is… | encouraged with students willing to aid one another. | limited with students in direct competition with each other. |
| Evaluations based on… | process-focused assessments, skills checklists and benchmarks. | product-focused report cards. |
| Environment is prepared for.. | the child with resources systematically placed in accordance with the progression (difficulty) of the materials. | the teacher, who becomes the sole and center of attention. |
| Teachers act as… | a facilitator of knowledge with the greater part of learning coming from the child’s own discovery and work with the materials. | dispensers of knowledge with the greater part of learning presented in an auditory fashion or read in textbooks. |
| Instruction presented in… | the whole, in chronological fashion, then broken into parts. | units with no particular order, later to be tied into a larger concept. |
We deliver the highest standard of Montessori education in the Chicagoland area through instilling Dr. Montessori’s philosophy into our community.
PROGRAMS
USEFUL LINKS
NEWSLETTER
What’s happening at American Montessori Academy and the world around us? At American Montessori Academy, we are committed to keeping you informed, providing access to useful resources, information and insights, and ensuring greater communication with our families and friends.