The Children
Given an environment created especially to meet emerging needs, the child is free to observe, explore, and follow his normal interests. Self-activity will enable the child to grow and develop a love of work, a natural desire to learn, a sense of order, self-confidence, inner discipline and concentration. All this is possible when the child is truly independent.
“The children’s minds are like fertile fields-ready to receive what will germinate into culture. We must plant as many seeds as possible! A child’s work is to create the man he will become. An adult works to perfect the environment, but a child works to perfect himself.” M. Montessori
Our aim is to prepare each child for life – not school. Although much socializing occurs, our school is most importantly a learning place, not simply a place to be social. It is not our duty to direct a child’s activities. Rather we lend our guidelines to each child until he/she is able to choose what we call work or purposeful activities. This is attaining internal growth and an indication of it. Work perfects a child interiorly, but a child who is thus perfected also works better. Discipline is not, therefore, a fact, but a way. It enables a child to acquire with an almost scientific exactness the concept of goodness. A child finds happiness in being able to obey.
“Give the child the possibility of developing according to the laws of nature, so that he can become strong and having become strong, can do even more than we dared hope for him.”
“The prizes and punishments are incentives toward unnatural or forced effort, and therefore we certainly cannot speak of the natural development of the child in connection with them.”
