About Us
 Maria Montessori, a 19th century physician
and educator, believed that children begin life by learning
intuitively and gradually mature into learning intellectually.
Founded in 1976, Park View Montessori has held to the tenets of
her philosophy by creating “hands on” goal directed prepared
environments designed specifically for the varied age groups of
children enrolled in the school. Her mission, like ours, is that
children develop life skills that will not only benefit them
through their adolescence but will also remain with them as
adults.
A Montessori environment is a community of children usually of
mixed ages led by an adult called a directress. This individual
is not a teacher in the traditional sense because the children
teach themselves. This person’s role is to create an environment
conducive to meeting the academic and social needs of the
children and to guide them through the sequence of learning
materials.
Each environment at Park View is self-contained. This means that
the children spend their day in the same room with the same
adults. This creates security in the children and hastens the
child’s transition from home to school.
Children are free to move in the environment. They work at
unassigned tables or on rugs. They are encouraged to choose
activities that they find interesting. Once this choice is made,
the directress assesses if the child needs assistance. If this
is deemed necessary, the directress will present or show the
child how to use the material. Through repetition, the child
eventually masters these exercises and discovers the wonderful
inner satisfaction that comes with success. Children work at
their own pace. Ability rather than age determines how quickly
they move through the sequence of materials.
Park View does not duplicate the home environment. Materials
that enhance the child development rather than customary toys
line the ordered shelves. The children are expected to return
these materials to the places from which they are taken. The
term “work” is used synonymously with play to describe the
varied materials and activities experienced by the children. |
