ABOUT WILDFLOWER MONTESSORI SCHOOL
At Wildflower Montessori School, we are dedicated to providing an alternative to traditional early childhood education. Our approach emphasizes family values, respect for nature, and curiosity about the world around us, creating an interactive and engaging learning environment for young children.
Our Values
Prepared Environment:
The Casa Dei Bambini classroom is carefully put together for the 3-6 year old child. Everything displayed on the shelves is intended to capture the interest of the child; each Montessori material is meant to fulfill the child’s innate desire to build themselves up. The material is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. Every morning children will enter a wondrous classroom where everything has been intentionally placed just for them.
Absorbent Mind:
From birth to six children are absorbing their environment like a sponge. The child absorbs unconsciously, without limits, without effort, and without filtering. The prepared environment supports this very special time by presenting children with children with new and increasing challenging concepts.
Sensitive Periods:
Children go through different stages where they are particularly open to different types of learning. These stages are what what Maria Montessori called a sensitive periods. When a child is in a sensitive period (the period for language or movement for example) they will absorb information with great interest and enthusiasm. The role of the teacher is to understand these temporary instincts and to use this knowledge to guide the child towards the activities that will inspire the child.
Normalization:
The word normalization (a term Dr. Montessori borrowed from the field of anthropology) is used to describe what spontaneously occurs when a child is given meaningful work to do. Normalization is characterized by concentration, love of work, self-discipline and sociability.
Observation:
It is necessary to observe the activities of each individual child in the classroom environment; so that the teacher is able to see what Montessori material the child should be show next. Through observation the teacher can also see if the child has a particular affinity for a specific activity, in which case the teacher will build upon what the child is naturally drawn towards.
Three Hour Work Cycle:
The 3-hour work period is fundamental to the Montessori classroom. This block of time is meant to make sure that children have enough time to fully immerse themselves in an activity without being disturbed. During this period a child will go through several cycles of work, have time to rest between cycles, and eat their snack. For all of this to happen, Dr. Montessori noted that 3-hours of uninterrupted classroom time was essential.
The Montessori Approach
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Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori was an Italian physician and educator known for her philosophy of education (the Montessori method) and her writing on scientific pedagogy. The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills, such as problem solving and helping and teaching each other. It emphasizes independence and it views children as naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a sufficiently supportive and well-prepared learning environment.
Connect with Us
We would love to meet you, so please give us a call to set up and appointment. We welcome families. Please bring your child with you on the school tour. We want to meet our little people, and it is an important opportunity for your child to get a feel for the school environment. On your visit we will talk you through the school’s mission and vision, as well as its history and general ethos. Thereafter, we will show you around the property. We will introduce you to our classroom, eco-friendly play space, art studio and vegetable and cut flower garden. During this time we will answer any further questions you may have about our school. Getting to know each other is really important to us.