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FAQ |
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Our Montessori school has the
advantage of fifty acres of farmland and beautiful faciliites. Within
this ideal setting we have searched high and low for the right staff to
allow the Montessori philosophy of education to come forth. What
is Montessori? Fieldcrest Montessori What
is our school calendar like? The Montessori Method is a proven
approach to education practiced in thousands of public and private
schools throughout the United States and around the world. Developed by
Italy’s first female physician, Maria Montessori, the Montessori Method
is based on the belief that each child is unique and proceeds through
developmental stages of learning at his or her own pace. Dr. Montessori
believed that a school designed to address the individual needs,
interests and learning styles of children would help develop students’
potential more effectively than a traditional school. In a Montessori
classroom, children move freely, selecting work that interests them.
Every subject is covered including math, art, language arts, science
and cultural studies. Is the school affiliated with a religion? No. Montessori philosophy includes a
spiritual component, which recognizes and respects the whole child, all
living things and the natural environment. Fieldcrest Montessori School
encourages families to share their unique cultural backgrounds and
upholds understanding and respect for different religious views. What is the difference between Montessori and traditional education? Montessori emphasizes learning
through all five senses, not just through listening, watching and
reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their individual pace
and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of
possibilities. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to
concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning.
Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups (3-6, 6-9,
9-12, and so on), forming communities in which the older children
spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. Montessori
represents an entirely different approach to education. Are all Montessori schools alike? No. Though based on Montessori
principles, each school has its own personality and unique way of
interpreting the Montessori philosophy. Where can I find a good, brief, introduction to Montessori from birth through the school years? You can find this information at the
Michael Olaf Montessori “text” site, which is actually an E-book of
Montessori philosophy and practice: www.michaelolaf.net. Are the Montessori materials able to let the child be creative? The materials teach specific things
and then creativity can be incredible. As an example, first learning to
handle a good violin and then playing music. It is not considered
“creative” to use the violin as a hammer; we consider it “creative” to
learn how to use the violin properly and then create music. The same
goes for the materials in a Montessori classroom when children learn a
myriad of shapes and colors and then have the knowledge to use them for
their own designs. Is Montessori good for children with learning disabilities? What about gifted children?
Montessori is designed to help all children reach their fullest
potential at their own unique pace. A classroom whose children have
varying abilities is a community in which everyone learns from one
another and everyone contributes. The specially designed Montessori
materials are effective for all learning styles. Moreover, multiage
grouping allows each child to find his or her own pace without feeling
“ahead” or “behind” in relation to peers. Are Montessori children successful later in life? Research shows that Montessori
children are well prepared for later life academically, socially and
emotionally. In addition to scoring well on standardized tests,
Montessori children are ranked above average on such criteria as
following directions, turning in work on time, listening attentively,
using basic skills, showing responsibility, asking provocative
questions, showing enthusiasm for learning, and adapting to new
situations. Will my child be able to adapt to a traditional school? Yes, research indicates that
Montessori students have great success moving on to more traditional
school settings. Life skills such as responsibility, independence, and
initiative that students develop in our program serve them well and
prepare them for a wide variety of practical and educational settings.
In Montessori schools, a love of learning is established. What is our school calendar like? We start the day after Labor Day and
end the last day of May. Children are able to choose
activities they have been shown how to do. Sometimes they work with a
few other children or one friend and sometimes the children work on
their own. Depending on the age group, your child may have a group
circle time for special presentations of lessons, songs, activity games
and announcements. In other classrooms, children come right in and
choose what they would like to do. There are group lessons throughout
each day as well as much free time. In the afternoon children have
recess, lunch, naptime, physical education, foreign languages, studio
art, theatre and music. Why is a five-day program the only option at the Pre-Primary level? Children in the 3 – 6 year old stage
of development have a need for order and routine. The activities
employed each day by the children act in accordance with their natural
development. A daily routine is particularly important in allowing
children to plan and feel settled within their school community.
Children adjust better to and benefit greater from an educational
program when they attend class on a daily basis. With routine in place,
children have the opportunity to socialize and develop life skills in
an environment that is prepared for their size and stage of development. Does each grade have set curriculum? The Montessori curriculum is
followed through out your child’s years at Fieldcrest starting with the
youngest infant to the oldest senior high student. There are four
stages of development for children in Montessori schools. There is
specific training for the following age groups: Infants ( 6
weeks – 18 months), Toddlers (18 months – 3
years old), Pre-Primary (3 – 6 year olds), Primary and Elementary (6 -
12 year olds) and for Adolescents (12 – 15). Students will progress
through the curriculum at their own pace with the guidance of the
director(ess). Junior and Senior High students use
text books among other educational materials. Are there grades and report cards? The Montessori Director(ess)
observes the child and records the child’s progress on a daily basis.
Conferences and progress reports are given to parents to communicate
their child’s activities. Typical ways to speak about progress within
the classroom are: Are the students administered the proficiency test? Yes, students will be tested in the
spring using the TerraNova test, the second edition, and the Invue test
designed by the CTB McGraw-Hill company. These tests serve as a means
to inform regular classroom curriculum, not as an end that distorts and
narrows the curriculum to simplistic test preparation. What kind of computer education do you provide? Students use the computers in their
classrooms for research and typing their research papers and
presentations starting in the Elementary and Junior High programs. What foreign languages do you offer? We offer French, Spanish and
Mandarin Chinese to our students from 3 to 15 years of age. Do the students take Physical Education? Yes. This includes swimming lessons,
gym instruction, team sports,
individual calisthenics, yoga and health education. At this time we do not have after
school sports but intend in the future to add these programs to our
school year. Students do play sports during our Physical Education time
and have enjoyed playing soccer, ice skating, sledding and snow
boarding to name a few. Do Montessori teachers ever have discipline problems? Certainly, and these problems are
handled by the teacher in a positive way. A Montessori teacher does not
believe in rewards or punishments. She approaches the situation
swiftly, yet calmly, addresses the child at eye level and tries to
recognize his feelings, thoughts and action. She gives the child the
required attention and offers him suggestions of alternative activities
in the classroom. In situations of conflict between two
children, the teacher tries to use the peer problem-solving method. She
does not intervene or stop the argument, but she allows the children to
work
it out on their own under supervision. The teacher then asks them if
there is any solution, and most of the time the children are able to
come up with
the solution! Students are allowed to express
themselves within their family’s and school’s guidelines. We do not
allow clothing that shows their bodies (short shirts and tight
clothing), allows undergarments to show, have “sassy” or negative
connotations. We do not allow students to make a negative comment on
another’s clothing, making that student feel uncomfortable. We realize
that this is not clear cut, but have opened up our policy to ask that
our students begin to make some judgment calls along with their parents
and the school. If a student is not able to handle the responsibility
of dressing appropriately for school or is imposing their tastes on
another, making another feel uncomfortable, that student may have
the freedom of choosing their dress taken away until they are ready to
make better decisions. Students eat in their classrooms.
Students may purchase hot organic lunch a month at a time or pack. The
hot
lunch selection is provided by Danielle's Kitchen and is made
fresh daily. Is there busing available for my child? No. Most of our children are driven
to school. Some of our families car pool, other children
walk, and a few of our students ride their bicycles to school. Are there opportunities for pretend play? When Dr. Montessori opened the first
Children’s House it was full of pretend things. The children never
played with them as long as they were allowed to do real things – i.e.
cooking instead of pretending to cook. It is still true. Do the children interact with each other often? There is as much interaction as the
children desire, but the tasks are so satisfying that, for a few hours
a day children want to master the challenges offered by them. Then they
become happier and kinder – true socialization. Also, since
concentration is protected above all, as all “work” is respected,
children learn early not to interrupt someone who is concentrating.
On the other hand, from grades 1 through 9, many of the
activities involve much collaboration among peers to complete projects |
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Fieldcrest of North Canton | www.fieldcrestofnc.org |
© 2008 Fieldcrest of North Canton |