School History
Children’s Montessori School is an early childhood preschool program
that follows the philosophy and principles of Dr. Maria Montessori.
The program encompasses the Montessori Method of
teaching and learning and incorporates the ideas and philosophies of
the American Montessori Society. The school was founded in 1998
by the owner and Director, Tracy Taylor. Tracy discovered the
Montessori Method of discovery during her college years; it was then
that she decided to pursue her career in Montessori education. All
three of her children began their love of learning in Montessori
preschools.
Children’s Montessori School began
on Horseshoe Drive in South Central Naples in 1998. The current
location is located in North Naples, Florida at 2535 Northbrooke Plaza
Dr. The program began serving children from the community ages
three through Kindergarten, and later included classes for the Toddler
age child. Currently we offer classes for student’s age twelve
months through Kindergarten. It is the fondness of children; the
confidence in the Montessori methodology, and the zest for learning
that children inhabit that brought this program to be.
Dr. Maria Montessori
Dr. Maria Montessori characterized the young child as possessing an
extraordinary capacity, the ability to literally absorb information
from his or her surroundings. Dr. Montessori named this quality
“the absorbent mind.” Its reality has been further documented by
recent neurological research. Young children are sensorial
explorers, soaking in every aspect of the environment, including
language and culture. Dr. Montessori recognized the motto of the
young child to be “help me to do it myself.
Children’s development during this period focuses on learning to be
independent. The corresponding educational environment, then,
should support this natural drive, enabling children to become
competent, and therefore, confident.
The
Montessori Method embraces the full development of children, addressing
all aspects (physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual) of
the whole child. The Montessori preschool classroom is a “living
room” for children. Children choose their work from among the
self-correcting materials displayed on open shelves, and they work in
specific areas. Over a period of time, the children develop into
a “normalized community,” working with high concentration and few
interruptions. Normalization is the process whereby a child moves
from being undisciplined to self-disciplined, from disordered to order,
from distracted to focused, through working in the environment.
This process occurs through repeated work with materials that captivate
the child’s attention. In the Montessori classroom, academic
competency is a means to an end, and the manipulatives are viewed as
“materials for development.”
Children
who have been educated using the Montessori Method grow into competent
students who love learning. The solid
foundation begun early in life creates a self-confident, contributing
adult. For more information on the Montessori Method or Dr.
Montessori and her works, refer to our resource guide in the office,
the library, or online services.
Affiliations and Memberships
American Montessori Society
North American Montessori Teachers Association
International Montessori Council
National Association for the Education of Young Children
Fully licensed by the Department of Children and Families
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