Taking a step away from the usual, public school option in search of an education that is better suited for your child, you may have come across a Montessori program in your research. Finding Instagram posts and blogs with beautifully laid out classrooms that look fun with smiling children having the best time learning may entice you to learn more. But before enrolling your child in a Montessori school, learning everything you should know first will help you to understand what the Montessori method is and what to expect for your child. With a little background, a glimpse into a classroom, and an overview of the general method, you should have a much better idea of what incorporating a Montessori program into your children’s lives, as well as yourself, will look like.

What is the Montessori method?

The Montessori method was created by Maria Montessori at the beginning of the 2oth century. Maria was a scientist, physician, and educator who explored and observed how children learn and how to create the best learning environments for them. A few key components to a Montessori education are:

• Movement: Montessori learning involves hands-on skills and tasks so that children can explore all the ins and outs of how something works. This approach is used for all subjects such as art, sensory activities, language, science, and math.
• Choice: People care more about what they are learning when there is a sense of personal decision in what they are learning.
• Interest: Similarly to choice, letting interest guide what they learn, children can be motivated by the subject of education instead of requiring a reward system to make them want to do their work.
• Order: Though a Montessori classroom involves lots of interactive stations that have many little pieces and components, it is also very orderly. Maria Montessori believed that order in the environment affected order in the mind. Each student uses one station at a time and must put everything away before moving on. At the end of the day, the classroom should be as orderly as it began.

Enrollment

The process of enrolling your student in a Montessori school involves just a few steps before the school year begins. A manageable class size is very important in a Montessori classroom, so be sure to begin the enrollment process early in the year to claim a stop for your child in the classroom. To begin the enrollment process:

• Call the Montessori school of your choice and schedule an observation of a class. Reading and learning about the Montessori method is one thing, but seeing it in action will give you so much more information about what to expect.
• Fill out an application to see if your child will have a potential place in the school.
• You will receive an email expressing the receipt of your application. In order for your application to be processed, providing the first tuition payment will solidify your child’s acceptance into the school.

For any questions you may have about the enrollment process, never hesitate to contact the administrative office. Giving your child a firm foundation in learning and exploring with their hands has proven to be a gift throughout their lives. If you live in the Bay Area and are looking for a Montessori school for your children, contact Fountainhead Montessori School today!