Finding the right preschool program will involve not only
the search for nearby school locations, but also personal interaction with
teachers and a first hand glance at the classroom environment of each program.
An important aspect to finding the right preschool for your child is to find
a school that is accredited. Since the Montessori method is not patented,
anyone can claim to have a Montessori school, even if they do not.
Accreditation from the American Montessori Society (AMS) gives you the
guarantee that the school you choose for your children is teaching them in the
Montessori method and not some other way.
There are certain
factors that set a Montessori preschool program apart from the rest. In the
classroom, there will be an emphasis on choice for the students. Children that
have fun learn more and learn faster. The children will have opportunities to
advance at their own pace through their choices, not according to arbitrary
curriculum mandates. You will find many different learning tools in a
Montessori classroom and children that are allowed to move freely between them
to explore and learn about the possibilities presented. The teacher will be
involved with students’ explorations and able to answer any of the students’
questions or requests for assistance. However, Montessori teachers are there
simply to guide and not lead. It’s this kind of learning that makes the
Montessori method so successful, especially at the preschool age when children
are able to absorb knowledge at an exponential rate.
We welcome any of your
questions at our Bay Area schools. Please contact us today
for more information and a tour of our school at any time.
