Choosing Montessori

“Schools of Choice” has been a theme for a few decades now in education, so I’m conscious daily that you have choices and I am honored that you’ve selected Montessori Center of Our Lady to be part of “your village”. As a wife who scheduled her husband to observe my Montessori classroom during our honeymoon, a parent who immediately enrolled her adopted daughters in Montessori, and as a Montessori elementary teacher, trainer, and administrator, I believe the Montessori philosophy provides so many advantages for your child.

The foremost that always warms my heart is the increasing levels of independence that your child is offered and provided. As I pass by our classrooms each day, I see so many opportunities for this development. The environment is prepared with care at the child’s size, so it facilitates his/her work. Teachers offer lessons in “grace and courtesy”, so children explore how to negotiate social relations with respect and decorum. 

I held a book club in past years for Tony Wagner’s book, The Global Achievement Gap and he proposed that interpersonal skills are the modern equivalent of the “3 Rs” necessary to succeed in today’s workforce. He details “seven survival skills” in his book: critical thinking and problem-solving, collaboration, agility, initiative, communication, curiosity, and imagination. While walking down the hall this last week, I overheard a student talking with Jason, from our maintenance department, sharing a story and then wishing him a good day. I’ve taken toddlers down to their class and am always surprised by how caring starts at that age (e.g. they’ll come to the door and comfort a tearful friend with empathetic words and a hug or a pat on the back). 

Recently I piloted a STEM program with our kindergartners and enjoyed each session, inspired by their curiosity, observations, and enthusiasm, as they explored a unit on prosthetics and another on safety solutions for Humpty Dumpty. Usually, their ideas for Humpty focus on cushioning his fall, but one student considered creating a parachute. The Google founders emphasize their take-away from their Montessori roots was to “think outside the box”. 

Research emphasizes that these are the strengths that results from a Montessori education. Ervin et al (2010) performed a three-year study and found Montessori children need less supervision, are more proactive in problem-solving, developed internal standards of performance, supported peers, demonstrated academic excellence, and were enthusiastic, curious learners. If you’re interested in this information, more recent studies are available on the AMS website as well as in Angeline Stoll Lillard’s book, Science Behind the Genius. The Governor of Hawaii just shared his Montessori childhood on the podcast, “Educating the Human Potential”. The Child Who Found His Voice: The Journey of Governor Josh Green | The American Montessori Society

Freedom is another benefit touted by Montessori experts. So many freedoms are often listed, such as movement, choice, and exploration. My theory album details these as freedom from “timetables, curriculum restraints, rewards, and punishments. And a Montessorian always understands that these freedoms are offered with responsibility (so students gain self-awareness and chaos doesn’t reign). The variety of choices in each room attests to these facts (see photos above): counting out golden beads, building the trinomial cube, playing a drum, setting the table, and laying out the color wheel. 

In addition, individualization is key to our approach to lessons. Dr. Montessori designed the materials and classrooms through her keen observation of children’s needs and characteristics (style of learning). Individual lessons and small groups enable us to discern how students have internalized their understanding and to provide challenging continuation. Each presentation extends in so many ways, and the materials provide hands-on exploration and a visual understanding to provide independent abstraction. 

As I share my days with our staff and students, I’m constantly amazed at their interactions with the materials and each other. There are so many other thoughts rattling around my brain and perhaps my fingers will find the keyboard again in those moments.

Thank you for choosing Montessori for your family and for choosing Montessori Center of Our Lady, a school recognized by Great Start to Quality as “demonstrating quality”. We’re about to celebrate our 50th anniversary in the fall and look forward to honoring the Felician Sisters’ legacy with your family.



Mrs. Brigitte Frost, Head of School