Educational Model
At Hand In Hand Christian Montessori our educational model provides children with the opportunity to find their passion in life, through created growth and learning.
Our Montessori Classrooms
Each Montessori classroom environment contain materials and lessons which have been time-tested, some over 100 years. These prepared environments are dynamic places in which children find and choose meaningful work, rise to the challenge and feel the satisfaction of a job well done. Traditional school settings measure children’s advancement and development on the results of tests and grades. At Hand In Hand Christian Montessori there are no grades because these measurements do not reflect the development of the qualities that we should be looking for in children. According to Maren Schmidt M. Ed in her book, “Understand Montessori: A Guide for Parents”, she writes, “ The child’s work is the test in Montessori environments. If you can do it, you know how to do it. Why use grades and tests when we already know the answers by observation?” At Hand In Hand Christian Montessori, trained Montessori teachers provide assessment of the learning needs as well as the accomplishments of the child through observation and activity charts. They focus on guiding the individual development by looking at a child’s concentration on tasks and the level of independence the child shows in self-selected activities.
trained guides
Adults that are professionally certified in Montessori philosophy, methods and materials for their group.
active learners
Learners who have free choice of activity within a 3 hour work cycle and can practice calendaring, organizing, self-advocating, narration, note taking, and self-reward.
Key elements for school success and life success as identified by Cornell University.
Prepared environment
Purposefully designed classrooms with thousands of learning tools to make education hands-on and interactive.
Hand In Hand also emphasizes these Montessori pedagogical principles that ensure a deeper kind of academic learning.
PEDAGOGY
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Knowledge of human tendencies
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Awareness of sensitive periods
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Special prepared environments
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Limitations of materials
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Teacher is link between child and environment
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Freedom of choice within boundaries
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Auto-education and self-construction
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Whole to parts; concrete to abstract
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Working with hand “to touch is to know”
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Isolating the difficulty
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Observation of child at work
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Repetition through variety
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Indirect preparedness of responsibility, respect and resourcefulness
according to Maren Schmidt, M.Ed in her book Understanding Montessori
The role of education is to interest the child profoundly in an external activity to which he will bring his potential. Dr. Maria Montessori