Our Philosophy
During the first six years of life, a child develops a unique sense of who they are in the world around them. They explore their world with a natural curiosity; eager to discover and absorb new concepts.
Dr. Maria Montessori believed that every child has within them the person they will become. In The Absorbent Mind (1967), she refers to the child’s mind from the time of birth as the absorbent mind. It is a time for “…the mind’s natural ability to absorb knowledge.” She believed that “Every child has this gift, a power which enables the child to teach himself, to take within himself the knowledge of the discoveries of life.”
Elemental Arts Montessori preschool and kindergarten places a high value on providing quality Montessori education. This is accomplished through our commitment to the values and tenets inherent in Dr. Montessori’s philosophy and method. At EAM, each child is encouraged to be independently responsible while they explore and discover their natural excitement and curiosity for learning. This is accomplished through respect for each individual child’s unique abilities to be their self.
In The Absorbent Mind, Dr. Montessori succinctly summed it up when she wrote:
"The child has to acquire physical independence by being self-sufficient; he must become of independent will by using in freedom his own power of choice; he must become capable of independent thought by working alone without interruption."
A key component to aiding a child in acquiring independence is in the prepared environment. The prepared environment at EAM preschool and kindergarten is designed with many elements to challenge each child. This is accomplished through hands-on activities which are freely chosen by the child. We encourage each child to be intrinsically motivated in their own learning process. Clear boundaries and routines are established to allow each child the freedom to develop their love of learning.