Dandy Lion Montessori

The Montessori approach to education provided at Dandy Lion Montessori School is centered in the uniqueness and potentials of the evolving child. The purpose is to develop the whole child into a well-rounded human being.

Children enter this world with a natural desire to learn and to perfect themselves. Montessori education fulfills this instinctive need by providing a “Prepared Environment” where children are allowed the excitement of learning by choice, rather than by force. In this environment, children develop the “inner discipline” that guides their self-development and the joy of learning.

Individualized lessons and instruction are given each child as their individual interests and readiness for new concepts is manifested. The multi-age setting fosters socialization between different age groups, provides role models for younger children, and allows for modeling leadership, mentoring skills for the older ones. In addition to academics, the program strengthens virtues such as love, peacefulness, compassion and kindness. Children imbibe values of respect for nature, caring for and acceptance of others, and becoming a responsible member of society.

Mankind’s basic tendencies are for exploration and orientation, order, imitating and abstracting, imagination, forming social groups, communication, independence, discipline, activity, creativity, calculation, and repetition. As they are satisfied, habits for lifelong learning are perpetuated, and children are free to become independent thinkers and learners.

Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952) an Italian physician, educator, and anthropologist revolutionized the way in which we value and educate children today. As a physician at the University of Rome, she observed how children learned through the use of their hands. Her vision on how to educate the complete child led her to “educate the senses, and then educate the intellect.” She pioneered scientifically designed didactic materials in an environment specially prepared to meet the progressive needs of the developing child. She taught us that nurturing the spirit of the child, and understanding their natural development process, is vital in the complete formation of a competent human being. Her first school was in the projects of San Lorenzo, Italy; opened Jan 1907, where she proved to the world what a child can achieve.

The Prepared Environment

The Prepared Environment is designed to facilitate maximum independent learning and exploration. It is carefully and purposefully prepared to allow for freedom of movement. A variety of activities are arrayed on the shelves from left to right, top to bottom, easy to difficult, and from concrete to abstract. With order and discipline, the child discovers and manipulates the self-correcting materials on his own without pressure, limitations or criticism. He experiences success each time, and becomes a joyful and confident child motivated from within to learn more.

The Montessori Curriculum

Exercises of Practical Life

These exercises lay the foundation of a Montessori program. They are everyday life skills that children learn in order to function in society. These activities satisfy the need for imitation, and help develop coordination. They enable children to expand their attention span and develop concentration essential for all academic learning to manifest. Independence, self-confidence, body consciousness, and self-awareness develop steadily through the use of materials for: caring for oneself and the environment, social skills of grace and courtesy, and control and refinement of movement.

Sensorial Exercises

All the faculties of intelligence are developed through exploration of the various materials of varying dimension, color, shape, texture, smell, and taste. The special materials are organized for developing and refining each sense while isolated from the other senses, thus enabling the utmost refinement. These are essential for the ability to discriminate differences, similarities and identities, and for enhancing the memory, the imagination and consequently the appreciation and interpretation of the fine arts.

Mathematics

Mathematical materials provide the means for the discovery of mathematics and the fundamental skills to calculate. Concepts are understood by use of concrete forms before abstracting theories. After understanding has been achieved, memorized learning is meaningful.

Language

This allows for enrichment of vocabulary, phonetic and non-phonetic sound recognition and assimilation, function of words, and complete reading and writing. These basic skills are acquired through the use of materials in three dimensional forms. Once these skills are mastered, the child is ready for interpretive reading and creative writing.

Cultural Arts

Geography, Botany, Zoology, Art, and Music expose children to the world and enable them to appreciate the importance and the beauty of nature, the diversity of people and their cultures.