The Early Childhood Classrooms at Love of Learning Montessori are a mixed age grouping of children aged 3 to 6, offering an academically enriched atmosphere within a well-ordered social community. Academic subjects adhere to the Montessori standard, including practical life mathematics, language, sensorial and cultural studies. An emphasis on outdoor education is pivotal to Love of Learning’s founding purpose; students are immersed in the outdoors as a regular aspect of their academic learning.
During this intense period of cognitive, social, and physical development, students spend their time working in what is called the prepared environment – a space equipped with materials for activities and lessons specifically designed to address children’s inherent desire to learn. The combination of a defined social structure and intellectual atmosphere in the prepared environment propels their learning. Students are free to pick and choose activities that interest them; the youngest members of the class are eager to model what they see the older children doing. For the older children, being able to help a younger child with something they have already mastered builds their confidence and self-esteem.
Montessori education also brings deliberate attention to the importance of a global and multicultural approach to learning. In Early Childhood, our classes hold space to recognize our individual heritages and the intersections of our many identities which make us unique. We identify opportunities to hold conversations regarding our similarities and differences as people, as learners, and as community members. Our school is made stronger by the conversations held to respect and understand each other as individuals.
The freedom provided by a Montessori environment also dictates a strong sense of responsibility. Students learn to take good care of materials, appreciate their outdoor environment, be kind to each other and respect their teacher. Their shared sense of respect cultivates a sense of safety which encourages further engagement with academically challenging subjects. Their personalized relationships to their work prompts discoveries that demonstrate the act of learning as a constructive process, exercising intelligence through collaboration.
