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Our approach and philosophy

 

Over 100 years ago, Dr. Maria Montessori developed her theory of education after observing young children and paying close attention to how they learned. Aspen Hill Montessori teaching style and materials are modelled after her work.

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Dr. Montessori's teaching methods focus on the “whole child”. When a child has been taught how to think, and is invested in directing their own learning, the following life skills emerge:

  • Ability to concentrate well

  • Sense of personal dignity

  • Independence

  • Self-motivation

  • Love of order

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Why would I consider a Montessori setting for my child?

 

Montessori methods engage the whole child and make learning a personal challenge rather than a chore. Children who experience self-directed learning from an early age train their minds to see life as a learning experience, and regularly pursue learning activities outside of school. If you have a child that is an eager learner and is an independent explorer of their world, a Montessori education can help to feed their curiosity.

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What types of activities will my child experience?

 

Our campuses exclusively offer Montessori materials from 9AM - 3:30PM. Children in our before and after hours programs enjoy traditional toys such as Duplo, wooden trains, construction materials, and imagination toys such as dress-up.

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Daily learning routines may include...

  • Practical Life (buttoning, grip, pouring, sewing, folding)

  • Sensorial (smell, touch)

  • Language (free form letters, sandpaper letters, tracing)

  • Mathematics (tactical counting beads, cubes, and sticks)

  • Cultural and Science Studies 

  • Art Appreciation (painting, poetry)

  • Gym (rhythm, dance, movement)

  • Science & Nature (tactical exploration)

  • Music (singing and sounds)

  • Foreign language exploration (French, Spanish, Arabic and more!)

  • Physical education activities

  • Nature walks and exploration

  • Outdoor play

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What does our Centre experience offer?

 

A guiding structure to the learning day ensures that children have order and routine that they can count on to help guide their learning. A daily carpet time, morning work period, outdoor time, lunch, and afternoon nap or work session help to balance gross motor skills with fine motor focus.

 

Our indoor classrooms invite our students to be active explorers through scientifically-designed materials and presentations. Prepared environments entice students to proceed from simple to more complex activities, allowing them to select individual challenges that interest them. Children connect socially as they complete their work, whether they work independently, with friends, or with a teacher (Guide). Physical movement through outdoor free play, musicality and dance programming is incorporated daily to ensure that all children meet or exceed the Canadian recommended requirements for active movement each day. 

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Our outdoor programs encourage exploration in all weather at both campuses! We develop our students' connection to nature through active play. Children have a minimum of one 45 minute break outside every day; two for older children.

 

We are a uniformed learning centre. Uniforms help reduce distraction and provide for a focused learning environment. 

 

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Will this program be a good fit for my child?

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There are many options to choose from when selecting a learning experience. Download our guide that helps to compare a Montessori education to a play-based program.

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Children who will enjoy a Montessori approach will demonstrate...​

  • a calm and ordered personality

  • a natural desire towards learning new things

  • a desire to be independent and do things for themselves

  • a desire to 'stick with' an activity that interests them

  • enjoyment in completing a task

  • the ability to move sequentially through a task to completion

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We can connect families to private-pay support for behavioural or social development concerns, mild-to-moderate speech delays, and mild movement or coordination delays. If your child has exceptional needs, connect with us to see if our programs are a fit, or if we can refer other programs that could assist.

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We encourage all families interested in pursuing a Montessori education to become familiar with the research behind this approach. The most successful students of Montessori are those that have a consistent environment between home and school. Here are some suggested readings to start you on your journey:

 

An overview of Montessori education

How do I know if Montessori is right for my child?

Examples of Montessori activities

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