Montessori
Welcome to a revolutionary approach to education that was created over a century ago yet remains the most child-centric and forward-thinking method today.
At Parkside Community Montessori, we don't just teach subjects; we nurture human potential. We partner with your child to ignite a lifelong passion for learning, independence, and peace.
For over a century, Montessori education has flourished across the world, serving children from infancy through adolescence. Its enduring relevance lies in how it prepares children not only academically, but socially and emotionally, for real-world challenges. In Montessori classrooms, children are active participants in their learning: they ask questions, make choices, solve problems, and collaborate with peers. Instead of rote memorization, they cultivate critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability—skills essential for success in the modern world.
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At the heart of every successful Montessori school, including here at Parkside, is a community of independent, curious, and compassionate learners. Montessori education views independence not as isolation, but as the foundation for true freedom and responsibility. As children gain confidence in caring for themselves, their classroom, and one another, they also develop empathy, resilience, and a sense of purpose.
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The Enduring Impact of Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori, born in 1870 in Chiaravalle, Italy, was far more than an educator. She was a scientist, physician, and visionary who forever changed the landscape of early childhood education. As Italy’s first female physician, Dr. Montessori’s early work in medicine and anthropology shaped her deep understanding of child development. Her scientific observations of children in both clinical and classroom settings led her to develop what we now know as the Montessori Method—an approach rooted in respect for the individual pace and potential of every child.
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Montessori believed that education should be a natural process of growth, guided by the child’s own curiosity and inner drive to learn. To support this philosophy, she designed the prepared environment, a carefully structured classroom that encourages independence, concentration, and joyful discovery. Within this environment, children engage in hands-on learning with materials that make abstract concepts tangible. Every lesson, from practical life to sensorial exploration, builds not only knowledge but also confidence, responsibility, and a love of learning that lasts a lifetime.
“The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.”
— Dr. Maria Montessori
The Montessori method, philosophy, and materials nurture children’s natural curiosity by allowing them to follow their interests. As they explore the classroom, the focus remains on the learning process rather than the end result. This approach fosters a sense of order, independence, and concentration while encouraging participation in a collaborative learning community. In essence, Montessori enables children to develop a tangible understanding of abstract concepts.
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The Five Pillars of a True Montessori Education
Our classrooms are built on a foundation of proven principles that allow each child to blossom naturally into an independent, confident learner.
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1. The Prepared Environment
The classroom is meticulously designed to be beautiful, orderly, and child-sized. Everything is accessible and has a purpose, allowing the child to move freely, choose their work, and master skills at their own pace. This environment fosters concentration and respect for materials and peers.
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2. Montessori Materials
Our environment is stocked with scientifically-designed, self-correcting materials (like the Pink Tower or Golden Beads). These materials transform abstract concepts (like math and language) into concrete, hands-on experiences, engaging the child's senses and leading them to their own discoveries.
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3. Child-Directed Learning
Children are free to choose their own work and follow their natural interests. The teacher acts as a Guide, gently introducing lessons and observing. This freedom to choose builds decision-making skills, intrinsic motivation, and a deep sense of ownership over their education.
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4. Uninterrupted Work Cycle
Children engage in a dedicated three-hour work cycle each morning. This extended, focused time allows them to select, complete, and repeat activities, leading to deep concentration and a state of complete absorption known as "normalization." This builds attention spans far beyond traditional models.
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5. The Multiage Classroom
Classrooms combine students of multiple ages and students remain in the same environment—Toddler (16-36 months) or Early Childhood (3 - 6 years). This creates a miniature society where older children become mentors, solidifying their own knowledge, and younger children are inspired and guided by their older peers. This fosters empathy, tolerance, and leadership.​​​
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Intrinsic Motivation
The Power of "I Can Do It Myself"
The Montessori philosophy is fundamentally about fostering independence and the inherent joy of work. When a child is allowed to successfully complete a challenging task on their own, they develop a sense of competence and self-efficacy.
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The cycle of choosing a task, completing it, and realizing the result—all without unnecessary adult intervention—instills intrinsic motivation. They learn for the pure satisfaction of mastering a concept, not for external rewards like grades or praise.
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“Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.”
— Dr. Maria Montessori
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This "I can do it myself" mentality cultivates a love of learning that lasts a lifetime.
Peace Education
Developing Grace, Courtesy, and Community
Montessori is education for peace. Through our curriculum, children are not only taught academics but are also deliberately and explicitly educated in social responsibility, conflict resolution, and mutual respect.
Peace Lessons and Grace & Courtesy
Lessons in Grace and Courtesy are integral. Children are formally taught the skills needed to navigate social situations with grace: how to politely interrupt, how to offer help, how to care for a sick friend, and how to apologize sincerely.
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Instilling Belonging: These lessons teach children the social contracts that make a community function, giving them the tools to feel empowered and successfully engage with peers and adults.
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Empowerment: By practicing how to use a "peace table" to resolve disputes, children learn that their voices are heard and that they have the ability to create harmony in their environment. This process develops social intelligence and a profound sense of belonging and justice.
“The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.”
— Dr. Maria Montessori
Why Authenticity Matters
Independent research consistently demonstrates the long-term success of the authentic Montessori approach, particularly in areas critical for 21st-century success: executive function, academic achievement, and social development.
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Executive Function (EF) Superiority: Landmark studies, such as those by Dr. Angeline Lillard and Dr. Stephen Else-Quest (2006), have shown that five-year-olds attending high-fidelity Montessori schools performed significantly better than their peers from other settings on tests of executive function. EF is the set of cognitive skills (including self-control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) essential for impulse control, planning, and goal attainment.
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Academic and Social Gains: Further research has documented that Montessori children exhibit stronger scores in math and reading and display a higher degree of social and emotional maturity, demonstrating a greater sense of fairness and a willingness to engage in more positive, cooperative play.
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The Problem with "Blended" or "Inspired" Models
Programs that claim to be "Montessori-inspired" or attempt to blend Montessori with other philosophies (like Reggio Emilia or traditional preschool models) often dilute the core principles that drive these research-backed outcomes.
Authentic Montessori
Three-Hour Uninterrupted Work Cycle.
The critical time needed for deep concentration and "normalization."
Shorter, fragmented work periods or fixed schedules.
Blended / Inspired Programs
Self-Correcting, Specific Materials.
The purposeful, sequential tools designed to isolate concepts and allow for independence.
Use of general, non-specific toys or open-ended materials that lack the built-in lesson of correction.
The Prepared Environment.
An orderly, complete, and meticulously structured classroom
Environments that are cluttered, lack a specific order, or include non-Montessori materials.
Multi-age Grouping.
Creates a specific social dynamic for mentoring and collaborative learning.
Single-age classrooms typical of traditional preschools.
The American Montessori Society (AMS) emphasizes that the power of the method lies in the consistency of its implementation. The success of the Montessori approach is not due to any single element, but to the synergistic combination of all the principles working together. When key elements are compromised, the method's effectiveness—particularly in developing executive function and deep concentration—is severely diminished. Parkside offers a fully authentic program that adheres to the time-tested, research-proven principles set forth by Dr. Montessori.
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