MONTESSORI PHILOSOPHY

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Our philosophy and programs are based on the pioneering work of Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952), Italy’s first female physician. The Montessori method of education, first introduced more than 100 years ago, has grown into a worldwide educational movement.

 

Dr. Montessori believed in and promoted the role of each child as an important, respected individual and contributing member of the community. She felt strongly that the educational system must honor and nurture each child’s unique personality and particular learning style.

 

A child should be allowed to develop at his or her own pace and encouraged in ways tailored to enhance learning for him or her specifically. The “whole child” must be embraced. Intellectual proficiency alone is not the end goal, but rather, the development and expression of each child’s fullest potential.

 

OUR PHILOSOPHY

 

Any strong preschool focuses on presenting curriculum that develops children intellectually, emotionally, socially, physically, and cognitively. At Ridgewood Montessori Learning Center, we are dedicated to helping our preschoolers develop the essential attitudes and ideas for a happy, productive and fulfilling life.

 

Through a Montessori-based education, we aim to stimulate and nurture in each child high self-esteem, emotional security, initiative, persistence, self-discipline, curiosity, compassion, courtesy and respect for others, an appreciation of beauty and the earth and a lifelong love of learning.

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OUR APPROACH AS A TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN

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The design of our program provides a chance for some children who are not quite ready for kindergarten but are functioning above a preschool level, to take a "building year." Preparing a child for kindergarten requires a keen observance of his/her intellectual skillset AND how well they are adaptive to socializing on each level. Our teachers and program can function to provide that bridge year. At times, an extra school year is beneficial to help a student progress toward the readiness he/she needs to be able to read and compute and navigate the social scene of kindergarten. As the demands for kindergarten evolve, and many districts become more academic, we have found that  some children benefit from taking that additional year when they are quite young. In essence, adding an extra year now becomes a twelve year gift for their growth throughout their elementary and high school years.

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