 Mission Statement
The mission of Boise School District Montessori Project
is to foster self-motivated, responsible, life-long learners by
providing an opportunity for students to meet high academic standards
using the Montessori philosophy and methods of education.
Goals:
- Implement the Montessori pedagogy by providing a
prepared learning environment with materials and classroom organization
specific to the Montessori method and a highly qualified, dual
certified (Idaho State Certification & Montessori Certification)
teacher with classroom aide.
- Establish and integrate the program, administration,
building staff and Montessori project staff.
- Achieve strong academic performance validated
through appropriate assessments using a Montessori curriculum aligned
with District and State standards.
- Provide on-going community education regarding the
project.
- Create and maintain high parental involvement and
collaboration in the program and advisory governance.
- Provide Montessori professional development.
Montessori Philosophy
The Montessori Method of education was developed in
1907 by Dr Maria Montessori, the first woman in Italy to become a
physician. She based her educational methods on scientific observation
of children's learning processes. Guided by her discovery that children
teach themselves, Dr. Montessori designed a "prepared environment" in
which children could freely choose from a number of developmentally
appropriate activities. Now, a century after Maria Montessori's first
casa dei bambini ("children's house") in Rome, Montessori education is
universally recognized as a quality educational method for children 2
years to adolescence. Nationally there are over 1000 Montessori schools
with approximately 300 operating within a public school system.
" We have clearly shown that a child has a need to
observe, to reflect, to learn, to concentrate, to isolate himself, and
also from time to time suspend his activities in silence. It is our
duty to direct a child's activities, sparing his useless efforts which
would dissipate his energies, divert his instinctive search for
knowledge . . . . The education of even a very small child, therefore,
does not aim at preparing him for school but for life."
- Maria Montessori
The key concept of the Montessori Method is that
students become actively involved in the education process. The
philosophy focuses on the development of the total child by fostering
independence and the freedom to choose through the use of specifically
designed sequential materials in a "prepared environment." The program
emphasizes the process involved in learning by hands-on experimentation
and discovery rather than just the product. Additionally, the role of
the teacher is redefined as a facilitator to provide a prepared
environment which provides the student choices about curriculum and
time management based on his or her motivation, potential, individual
ability, and need. Incorporated in the Montessori method is the belief
that every student carries within, the person that he or she will
become, and that every youngster is born with far greater ability than
is usually developed.
Key Principles of a Montessori Program
- Multi-age classroom-allows younger children to learn
from the older through observation, and for the older child to
reinforce knowledge by teaching the younger.
- Manipulative materials allowing the learning to
begin with the concrete and move to the abstract
- Freedom of Choice
- Individual and Group work
- Concentration
- Independence
- Problem Solving
- Experimentation
- Emphasis on the learning process
- Evaluation through portfolio, journaling, and
teacher observations (letter grades are not assigned)
- No extrinsic reward for learning. Learning is the
reward.
Additional Information about Montessori Education
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