The Montessori Method

“The secret of good teaching is to regard the child’s intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination.”

– Dr. Maria Montessori

Developed over a century ago by visionary physician and educator, Dr. Maria Montessori, the Montessori method is a child-centered, developmentally-based approach to education. Central to this approach is the belief in the potential of the child, and on the belief that it is only the child herself who can realize this potential.

Once considered an educational experiment, Montessori has become the blueprint for a new approach to learning—one that’s demonstrating long-term success in both private and public U.S. schools.

The Montessori Philosophy

The primary goal of our programs is to help each child reach their fullest potential in all areas of life and to create a secure, loving and joyful learning environment. Montessori Academy strives towards these goals by preparing the school’s environment to best meet the needs of the student and utilizing several key points of Maria Montessori’s philosophy:

Natural Spirituality

Children are inherently good and, when allowed to develop freely, they feel connected to everything and are naturally caring to each other and the world around them.

Children Move through Sensitive Periods

Dr. Montessori noticed that there were certain periods of particular sensitivity that occurred in children. During these periods the child could learn the activity that she was focused on at a particularly intense rate and that such learning appeared to come very easily.

Montessori-certified teachers are trained to identify these very creative periods, and when recognized, they introduce concepts to optimize learning giving children the freedom to follow their interests.

Children Need Freedom

Montessori saw freedom as the single most important factor in allowing children to develop as spontaneous, creative individuals.

The aware adult, whether a parent or teacher, acts as an observer, protects the child’s right to learn, models desired behavior, prepares the environment and also accommodates the needs of the child. In the classroom setting, the adult is neither simply the central authority nor “imparter of knowledge”.

Children Learn Through Their Senses

Dr. Montessori observed that children build on their physical experiences of the world through their senses. By carefully designing interesting materials which the children were drawn to experiment with, she could help them extend this understanding.

Children Are Natural Learners

Montessori schools believe that children are at their happiest when they are busily involved in a process. They are natural learners who will want to constantly explore the world if left to follow their instincts.

I can honestly say that Montessori Academy has been able provide an excellent experience for each one of our 3 very different children. Our oldest is now taking honors classes at a college preparatory high school and scored in the 80th percentile overall on her PSAT, 87th percentile in reading and writing.

We could not be happier with the decision we made to keep our son at Montessori Academy and the investment we made in his education. He was challenged throughout the curriculum and received all the support he needed to graduate with a high academic standing and a deep sense of humanity.

I HIGHLY recommend Montessori Academy of Broward to anyone and everyone interested in giving the gift of a great all-around foundation to their kids. My daughter has thrived here not just academically, but emotionally as well. Montessori is not just a school—it's a family.

There are so many things I love about Montessori–from little things like EVERY teacher knowing EVERY child and their parents (and sometimes grandparents) by name to the safe, clean and professional learning environment they with all the tools they could want to prosper in their academic life, at their own pace.

Our son is now a happy young man who knows that he received the tools he needed to succeed and accomplish his dream of obtaining an academic scholarship at American Heritage High School. Not only did he get accepted into the honors program at an elite high school, but the rest of his graduating class did as well.

The Montessori Method