Building the foundation for a lifetime of creative learning.

Core Philosophy & Method.

Core Montessori Philosophies

    The goal of Montessori education is to foster autonomous, competent, responsible, adaptive citizens who are lifelong learners and problem solvers.
     

  • Follow the Child

Learning occurs in an inquisitive, cooperative, and nurturing atmosphere. Students increase their own knowledge through self–initiated experiences with teacher guidance.

  • Concrete to Abstract Learning
    Learning takes place through the senses. Students learn through the repeated us of hands-on materials and interacting with others. These experiences are precursors to the abstract understanding of abstract ideas.
     

  • Respect for the Individual

The individual is considered as a whole. The physical, emotional, social, aesthetic, and cognitive needs and interests are inseparable and equally important. Respect for oneself, others, the environment, and life is necessary to develop a caring attitude toward all people and the planet.

The Method

  • Classrooms are child-centered.

  • Materials and classrooms are structured to help develop a sense of order, concentration, coordination, and independence.

  • There is an abundance of materials to meet the needs of many developmental levels.

  • The materials are sequenced from simple to complex and are presented in the classroom in a logical order throughout the year.

  • There is a quiet busy tone.

  • A sense of community is fostered in classrooms with mixed-age groupings.

  • A balance between freedom and responsibility is stressed.

Professional Staff

Here at QCMS, all of our Educational Directresses and Lead Teachers, have had specialized Montessori training.  Many of our support staff are in the process of expanding their early childhood education and/or their specialized Montessori background.

It is “an approach to education that balances freedom with responsibility in the classroom and also sets high standards of intellectual and social development for children. Equally important, it encompasses a vision of the development of human beings from childhood to early adulthood. As a result, it is a logical and consistent plan of education that follows the child from one developmental stage to the next. This unique educational approach is the Montessori method.”

Paula Polk Lillard