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Most parents have never heard of the Montessori Method and, if they have, it has likely been negative. Just why America chose to become hostile to this form of education remains a mystery. Thankfully, enlightened souls across the country have begun training in and offering this method to more and more families across the nation. If you are currently in the market for a preschool, daycare, or even elementary school for your children, be sure to take a look at Aliso Viejo Montessori schools. The difference will amaze you. Prepare the Environment If someone were asked to boil the Montessori Method down to one word, that word would be, "environment." The environment is what teaches children. It is not adults. According to Maria Montessori, children are not empty vessels waiting to be filled with knowledge. Instead, Montessori saw that children are blessed with a keen intelligence and ability to observe and absorb the lessons of their environment. In a Montessori school, this guiding philosophy even changes the basic vocabulary of education. For example, teachers are called directoresses since their function is not to teach but to direct the child to the proper environmental element from which he or she can gain the skills they are ready for. For this reason, the environment you find in a Montessori school will be much different than what you find in a "traditional" preschool. The Environment Affects Your Children If you were to take a picture of a Montessori classroom and a traditional preschool classroom and compare them side by side, perhaps the first thing you would notice is that, compared to the Montessori classroom, the traditional preschool looks like its on acid. Have you ever walked into a preschool that is painted with clashing bright colors? Did it make your head hurt? Just why preschools think that children enjoy the chaos of having doors of mismatched colors, and bright, tacky murals painted on every wall is a mystery. Just how anyone expects children to remain calm and well-behaved when their environment is in chaos is also a mystery. It Feels Like Home Montessori classrooms are designed to be a safe, calm space for children. Instead of obnoxiously painted walls, you will find what, to a great deal, looks like a living room of a home. Most times, the floors are carpeted so as to mute the sounds of its occupants instead of bounce them around. The walls are usually a soft color and, instead of shelves or bins full of dolls and trucks, you will find beautiful, wooden shelves filled with works. These works are much more effective than toys at holding the attention of children because each one presents a challenge to be overcome. Children Love Order Each work has a specific spot on the shelves and children are quickly taught to respect the order of the works. By keeping the environment clean and ordered, children remain interested. Have you ever noticed that your children seem to really like messing up the room you just cleaned but have little interest in their dirty playroom? That is because children are drawn to order. Your child is not thinking, "Oooo, mom just cleaned this, let me destroy it," your child is thinking, "This is so beautiful, I just have to touch it!" The same applies to a school. Could You Work There? So, when you go to look at various schools for your children, pay attention to the environment. Is it clean? Is it orderly? Is it comfortable? If you wouldn't like spending all day at the preschool, your children won't either. Children are miniature versions of adults and many of the things that bother adults bother children. What you want is a school that, when you enter it, feels like home and you'll find it at an Aliso Viejo montessori Academy. At Academy on the Hills http://www.academyonthehills.com/, we offer a learning environment to foster your child’s creativity, emotional well-being, and intellect. Visit Aliso Viejo montessori to provides a safe learning environment to your child grow or her full potential.
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