Philosophy

The philosophy of New England Montessori Children’s House is based on the principles of Maria Montessori. Like Dr. Montessori, we believe in an approach that is designed to fit the needs of the children, rather than having them conform to a program. We believe that learning should take place in a multi-age classroom where children are at various stages of development and therefore can benefit from each other. Children have what Dr. Montessori called “an absorbent mind.” They are capable of effortlessly acquiring knowledge from their surroundings. Given this “absorbent mind” it is easy to see why a stimulating environment can have such an impact on the children. The children are naturally interested in their environment and have an internal desire not only to learn about it but also to achieve competence in it. Dr. Montessori developed the idea of a “prepared environment,” where the teacher prepares the classroom to facilitate maximum independent learning and exploration by the children. The prepared environment enables the children to develop concentration, perseverance, reasoning, cooperation, and confidence that will help them become competent learners. The children are free to move about the classroom, choosing learning materials, “works”, that are of interest to them.  The teacher introduces new work, both individually and in groups, and changes the environment continually to meet the needs of the growing children.