Frequently Asked Questions

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Calgary: pathwaymont@gmail.com

Fort Langley: pathwaylangley@gmail.com

A Montessori class is a child-sized world. Materials and curriculum center on practical life, sensorial, language, math geography, history, science, art and music. Materials or exercises are designed to stimulate independent exploration. This prepared environment entices the child to proceed at his own pace from simple activities to complex ones.

The Directress works with individual children, introduces materials, and gives guidance where needed. One of the primary tasks is careful observation of each child in order to determine his/her needs and to gain the knowledge needed in preparing the environment to aid his/her growth.

In most preschools the children are taught educational concepts in a group by a teacher. In a Montessori preschool the children learn concepts spontaneously as they work independently with the many materials in the environment.

The Montessori Method is basically a unique approach to learning. Rather than “teaching” the child concepts, an environment is designed to stimulate the child’s interest and facilitate his understanding and learning capacities spontaneously – with little or no adult intervention.

Children are free to move about the classroom at will, to talk to other children, to work with equipment or ask the teacher to introduce new materials to them. They are not free to disturb others at work or to abuse the equipment so important to their development.

The combination of different ages allows the children the opportunity to learn from each other and permits the older children to reinforce their knowledge by sharing their skills with the younger children. We believe that the third year at the Primary level (Kindergarten) is of unique importance and we encourage five-year old children to remain with their Primary level class.

This is Montessori’s name for age periods when the child shows unusual capabilities in acquiring particular skills. Dr. Montessori found that the child is able to absorb different subjects more readily at different ages or periods of growth.

Socialization is very much a part of the Montessori Method. In the classroom you will notice children interacting, choosing to work on projects together, and older children helping younger ones. Each day there is a group gathering time.

Montessori educated children are generally very flexible and adjust quite easily to public schools. They are often better students and spend their time in more productive ways because they are self-directed and have a positive attitude toward learning.

The concept of freedom within the classroom is a freedom within limits. A child is allowed to work freely as long as the ground rules are followed. Because children have the freedom to follow their own interests, they are generally happy and busily involved with their work.