MONTESSORI 101...           

“We do not believe in the educative power of words and commands alone, but seek cautiously, and almost without the child’s knowing it, to guide his natural activity.” -Maria Montessori

The foundation of a good education is learning how to learn, especially in an era of technological revolution and social change. At E.C. Montessori & Grade School (ECM) the curriculum is designed as an inclined spiral in which lessons are introduced simply and concretely in the early years of each cycle and are reintroduced several times during the following years at increasing degrees of abstraction and complexity. ECM’s course of study encompasses the traditional curriculum and goes beyond to teach students how to think clearly, do their own research, express themselves well in writing and speech, and apply their knowledge in authentic scenarios.

Our course of study is also an integrated experience that ties the separate disciplines of the curriculum together into studies of the physical universe, the world of nature, and the human experience. As an example, when our students study Peru, they not only discover facts and figures, but they also create Peruvian masks in art classes, learn Peruvian music and dance in Spanish, and experience the flavors and aromas of foods from the continent. Literature, the arts, history, language, government, architecture, medicine, and science, all complement one another in the elementary curriculum.

ECM’s curricula involve the education of the whole child. We set high expectations for the quality of work and thought, which includes how students deal with each other and how to live honorably and respectfully in the community. Peace is not a just a topic of discussion or the absence of war, but rather a natural outcome of a method of education where children learn how to treat each other in their daily lives and how to solve problems through communication and cooperation.