More Than Academics: Nurturing Confident, Capable Children for Life

We know parents have choices when it comes to their children’s education, and we know these choices are not easy. There are many factors to weigh, but we hope this post will help you make an informed decision as far as Montessori is concerned.

Montessori education has been successfully serving children and families around the world for over a century. The basics remain—and for good reason. Our methods are consistently backed by current research in education and human development, providing a foundation that truly prepares children for life.

Here is why Montessori education—and our warm community at Wading River Montessori School—works so deeply for growing children:

1. Montessori Meets Children Where They Are, Without Judgment

Conventional methods of education were developed specifically to prepare large numbers of children to enter the workforce, traditionally giving little thought to differentiating instruction or catering to the needs of individual children. While education has begun changing in recent years, many schools are still in the early stages of personalizing learning.

Montessori schools are specifically designed to allow each child to move at their own pace. We know that learning is not linear, and that children are not ready to learn specific skills according to an adult-prepared timeline or in perfect harmony with their peers. Kids who need more support with certain skills get that support, and those who are ready to move ahead find the challenges they crave. We do not teach a whole class of children the same skill at the same time; that may seem more efficient from an adult’s perspective, but it’s not what serves children best. No two people should be expected to grow at the same rate, and it is our privilege as educators to meet children where they are and give them the support they need to get where they want to be.

2. Montessori Emphasizes More Than Just Academics

Lots of people use the phrase "teaching the whole child," but in Montessori schools, we mean that on a very deep level. We do not teach just to convey academic information. In fact, academics share equal emphasis with our efforts to develop other aspects of the child, including emotional, social, sensorial, and practical life development. We integrate the arts and movement into everything our children do, rather than isolating these areas of study into a separate class. We intentionally teach children how to navigate and resolve conflict and how to adhere to social norms.

Our greatest task is to give children a global view of the world. We want them to understand the interconnectedness of all things so that they may be fully integrated, caring members of their greater community as they grow and mature.

3. ...But The Academics Are a Huge Strength

Montessori academics are often hailed as some of the highest standards there are. It is not uncommon to see four-year-olds in our classrooms reading, six-year-olds completing long division problems, and nine-year-olds classifying botanical specimens. These tasks are completed joyfully, in part because we present information in such a way that children discover it for themselves rather than passively taking in facts given by an adult.

Another reason Montessori students work at an advanced academic level is because of sensitive periods. Through years of observation, Dr. Maria Montessori noticed that young children seemed primed and particularly interested in developing certain skills during very specific time periods. One example is geometry: while many adults were first exposed to it in high school, primary- and elementary-aged children have a great capacity to learn geometric concepts when presented concretely. This is why you may hear a five-year-old talking about rectangular prisms, or a seven-year-old discussing the differences between isosceles, right, and scalene triangles.

4. Our School Cultivates Community

A Montessori school is more than just a school—it is an extended family. First and foremost, we are there for our students, but we aim to build meaningful, seamless connections between everyone involved:

• Educator & Network Support: Giving our Guides opportunities to connect with one another and the larger Montessori network for ongoing professional development.
• Deep Family Partnership: Making sure parents and Guides have ample time to discuss each child’s unique growth and needs.
• Parent Connections & Education: Supporting families through parent education offerings and creating opportunities for parents to form lasting relationships with one another.
• Multi-Age Mentorship & Community Gathering: Gathering as a whole school periodically, while nurturing strong bonds between children across different multi-age levels.
• Local & Inclusive Ties: Reaching out to make connections with our local community and giving our educators and families a voice in school decision-making.

We build in clear structures that take the guesswork out of making these connections, making it simple for everyone to find common ground and open streams of communication.

5. Montessori Aims to Lift Up Humanity

From the very beginning, Dr. Montessori saw it as her mission to improve the world through education. She believed that by giving children the honor and respect they deserve, the benefits would trickle through to families, the community, and society in general. She believed in the equality of all people and saw education as a great leveler.

Montessori schools aim for peace. This starts between individuals by teaching our youngest students how to be kind and gracious toward one another. A great respect for the environment and other living beings is another vital aspect of our work, as is a reverence for the wide diversity of cultures around the globe. Combined, these elements cultivate within the child a respect for themselves and others, as well as a desire to ensure connection, fairness, and peace for all.

We hope this article has been helpful in guiding your family's journey. To continue the conversation or to learn more about the cost of enrollment for our programs, connect with us today to schedule a chat, visit, or tour. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to Wading River Montessori School!