Intro
The child's most absorbent learning experience is from birth to six years. This is when learning patterns are set for a lifetime. It is also the period when growth is most evident and quality time is most valuable. The stronger the foundation, the greater the opportunity for individual growth. At MES, the child is the focus; the student establishes the learning pace. In cooperation with the faculty, the child is guided through early socialization, awareness, individuality and interaction with others.
The result is a child who is confident, secure and who finds pleasure in learning and completing tasks in a specially prepared environment. Each aspect of the classroom, from the room layout to the learning materials, is designed to allow the child to act on his own initiative meeting his individual needs through purposeful activity. Respect shown for children's humanity and ability endows them with a sense of responsibility and strong self esteem. Dr. Montessori also recognized that the only valid impulse to learning is the self-motivation of the child. The children move themselves toward learning. The teacher prepares the environment, directs the activity and offers the child stimulation, but it is the child who learns and who is motivated through work itself to persist in a given task. If Montessori children are free to learn it is because they have acquired an inner discipline from their exposure to both physical and mental order. This is the core of Dr. Montessori's philosophy.