Why We Love Montessori

If you are like us, you might not have grown up knowing anything about Montessori philosophy. When each of us discovered the beauty behind a Montessori mindset, we never looked back. If you are just starting your journey or you’re a long time veteran, we wanted to share why we love the Montessori way.

We love Montessori because it’s a beautiful flow of children of different ages working together in harmony. It’s philosophy emphasizes children learning skills they need in everyday life alongside their academics. Montessori is more than just learning, it’s a daily lifestyle. It establishes an environment with routines that provide opportunities for the child to explore and create. A place where they can master practical life skills and challenge their mind. Overall, it allows them to experience the beauty and wonder of this Earth through their senses.

“It’s a beautiful flow of children of different ages working together in harmony.”

A Montessori lifestyle creates a foundation of learning for these young minds to build on in their future years. Each activity and educational experience is for the individual. When a child chooses an activity to work on, they are able to pursue their interests while promoting self reliance.

In normal classroom settings, teachers are there to lecture and give out standard and formulaic worksheets and activities for the children. Meanwhile in Montessori, the teacher is there to guide the children as they navigate the learning materials, striving towards independence. As parents, this gives us a unique opportunity to follow the child. It is ok to be attentive to their needs, but it’s important to let them lead. This will allow for the most growth mentally and developmentally in our homes.

Dr. Maria Montessori believed strongly that little children had the capability of learning and absorbing information at a very early age and from what we have learned and observed with our own children, she was right. If you were to enter a Montessori classroom for the first time, prepare to be amazed. You will see children collaborating together, washing dishes, tracing letters, cleaning, using their imaginations, and so much more. They will be working in small groups or independently concentrating on tasks of interest to them. At our school in California, we love promoting independence and allowing the child to lead. This brings out the best kind of playful learning and adventures! As we have replicated this kind of learning in our homes, we have seen our children grow and develop in the best ways. It honestly has made for a happier parent and child.

These special little humans are in the most important period of development and they are eager to learn if we give them the freedom to do so. Maria Montessori said, “The most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six.” We believe that this doesn’t need to be a scary notion for parents. It is possible, and easier than you might think, to create a Montessori minded home. That’s a huge reason why we created iML. We want to partner with parents to make it easier for their children to find access to this type of learning. We want to help set you and your family up for success. Thank you for letting us be a part of your journey. We can’t wait to see where it takes us.

-Barbara, Rachel and Kayla