Montessori preschools, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in the early 1900s, focus on child-centered learning where children have the freedom to choose their activities. Unlike many traditional preschools that prioritize unstructured play, Montessori classrooms treat play as "work" and utilize specific materials to enhance learning. This approach fosters organic, self-paced discovery, with teachers serving as guides rather than directors.

One of the standout features of Montessori education is the mixed-age classroom, where children aged 3 to 6 learn together. This setup allows younger students to observe and learn from their older peers, while older children reinforce their skills by mentoring younger classmates. Research indicates that children thrive academically and socially in such environments, benefit from peer learning, and develop essential skills like cooperation and confidence. Montessori education promotes independence and cultivates a sense of community, making it a holistic approach to early childhood education.

At Early World Montessori, we embrace a full Montessori approach. However, if you're seeking a blend of traditional play-based methods with Montessori principles, our sister schools offer a unique combination of both! In addition, they provide an integrated science-based curriculum that emphasizes inquiry and hands-on exploration. You can find more information about these schools.

The Montessori environment is equipped with a wide variety of material. Maria Montessori designed activities to develop a child’s skills in a wide range of life areas. Specific units are designed to expose children to the following areas: practical life, sensorial experiences, science, mathematics and geometry, language arts, geography, music, art, movement and physical education.

Practical life encourages skill development in daily living tasks; the activities each of us perform on a regular basis to care for ourselves and our environment. This area of the classroom includes such activities as pouring, bow tying, dish washing, polishing, hammering, food preparation and many others.

Sensorial materials stimulate awareness of size relationships, colors, sounds, and tactile qualities. These activities refine and develop the child’s senses and organize the information received through the senses. Manipulative materials allow the child to experiment in a concrete way.

Mathematics, geometry, language, geography and science activities provide academic stimulation. The math and language materials develop visual discrimination skills and provide a foundation for future learning by developing mathematical and phonetic concepts. The science and geography areas contain activities that increase the child’s understanding of the world.

Movement, music, and art enrich the program and contribute to the child’s growth. Each child spends time in a “circle” daily, learning new songs and movement games, as well as enjoying old ones. Puppets and dramatic play enrich the fantasy experience. Children express thoughts, feelings, and experiences graphically through art materials.

Children learn from each other. When children are grouped by age, the range of capabilities is considerably smaller than when several ages are grouped together. The young children learn academic and social skills from observing their older classmates. The older children learn patience, tolerance and leadership skills from their younger classmates. Our society is not segmented into age groups. As adults we have friends and acquaintances of many different ages. The Montessori classroom reflects our society with a mixture of ages.

Maria Montessori found that three year olds are particularly eager to bring order to their minds and their surroundings. They readily absorb the order of the materials and the classroom. This ability to organize an activity is the foundation for problem solving. At no other age is a child as eager to have order than at three.

Children need routine and predictability in their lives. When their lives lack routine and predictability, they feel out of control and insecure. Attending school each week day gives them the security of knowing what will happen next.

Initially, some three year olds are tired at the end of the school day. Lunch and a rest period help them and their families through the remainder of the day. Their bodies adjust with time and patience.

The children need freedom to explore the materials without interruptions. Just as adults dislike distractions when involved in a task, so children prefer to complete their activities without distractions. In the Montessori environment, they develop their ability to focus their attention. Without unnecessary interruptions, their attention span increases and they develop concentration skills.

Before children spontaneously share, they must feel free to not share. In the Montessori environment, the adults protect their right to explore an activity by themselves at their own pace. Sharing evolves naturally from the classroom experience. When they desire, they share by communicating with and helping others. The sharing is natural and spontaneous because it comes from within the child, rather than being forced arbitrarily by an adult.

Group activities are an essential component of the Montessori curriculum. During circle time, recess, lunchtime, and extended hours, the class forms small groups to engage in specific tasks. These activities capture the children's interest and attention, fostering communication centered around the task at hand. However, it's important to recognize the limitations of group activities, as they often do not encourage spontaneous interactions among children. While group activities help develop listening skills and boost confidence in speaking, children also require a variety of experiences to cultivate their social skills.

To complement group work, the Montessori program also provides individual activities that promote personal, relevant, and spontaneous communication. These experiences allow children to share and express themselves based on what’s occurring in their own lives.

Children are free to use equipment in accordance with their own rhythms and needs. Initially, the teacher demonstrates the use of the materials as a guide to ensure the child’s success. The children are then encouraged to explore the activities in a constructive manner rather than using the materials in precisely the manner in which they were shown by the teacher. The only restriction being that misuse or destructive use of materials is not allowed.

The children are free to explore the environment and interpersonal relationships in constructive ways. The underlying theme is respect; the adult respects the individuality of each child. The children learn that others have needs and rights, and that they must respect those needs and rights. The children are free to explore only so long as their explorations do not include actions that hurt or disturb any other child. The children learn that what is good for the group is acceptable and what is not good for the group is unacceptable.

The most effective means of discipline involves communication among the children. The teachers help the children whose rights have been violated to verbalize their feeling to the offender. The adults encourage the offending child to acknowledge the statement with either “I’m sorry” or “I’ll try not to do that again”.

When children continually disrespect others needs and rights they are removed from the group and their right to participate is terminated temporarily. During the “time out” period they sit quietly with a teacher. They can then observe other children continuing their activities in constructive ways. After a few minutes, the teacher invites the child to re-enter the activities.

As children come to understand the meaning of the respectful environment, they choose to monitor their behavior so that they do not infringe on the rights of others.

We close on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

We have 1-2 teacher training days per year, and typically give at least a months notice for these dates.

We work hard to stay open!

In case of inclement weather, we will text/email all school families with a direct message to notify you of closures or delayed opening or early closing due to weather or other emergency.  You may also visit the local TV station websites, such as  King 5 for school closure information.

Three snacks and lunch are provided per day for full-day students, Milk is also provided during lunch and available during snacking times. All meals are prepared and served at EWM by our in-house chef.

Our goal is to prepare children for life’s experiences. We prepare them in the academic area so that most children enter first grade reading or on the brink of reading. They have a firm understanding of the concept of numbers and the decimal system. Their abilities to organize themselves and to solve problems are excellent. Their listening skills and their abilities to respect others and participate in the community are remarkable. Their confidence and communication skills are very high. Most importantly, they love school and learning, and have positive feelings about themselves. These qualities are assets in many settings.

We offer a variety of enrichment activities, providing supplemental exploration and creative expression to develop and solidify well-rounded skills. These enrichment programs complement the Montessori approach by exposing children to subjects like foreign languages, STEM concepts, music and movement, and sporting activities.

Extended Care is offered for EWM enrolled students ages 2.5-6 years. The hours for Before Care are 7:00 AM-8:30 AM. Hours of After Care are from 3:00 PM-6:00 PM. No bus pick-up/drop-off options available.