You've Come A Long Way Baby!

Monarch Montessori of Denver opened its doors in April 2010 with 90 students and has grown to 200 students almost two years later.  Many of those students had a Montessori head start in other programs and now are successful, independent, self-guided pre-school students at Monarch.

Parents think very hard about what is the best methodology so that their child gets the very best beginning in education.  They invision a school as a commitment for years to come, especially with Montessori.  Monarch Montessori of Denver is very fortunate to offer an authentic Montessori program that starts at 6 weeks through Kindergarten with plans to expand to an elementary school of choice with Denver Public Schools.  That means that a child from 6 weeks old can be at Monarch Montessori for 10 years!

Lisa Avery Krug had this to say about her daughter, “Choosing a Montessori education was the perfect platform for Campbell's launch into academia. It was amazing to see Campbell transform from this dependent little infant into a self assured, self reliant and self confident preschooler.”

The Montessori Method has been implemented all over the world for over 100 years and it works for all types of learners. Montessori was originally developed in Italy by Dr. Maria Montessori for three to six year olds and then adapted for younger children and older children.  From the infant stage, children are allowed to explore their environment and have no restraints such as cribs or playpens.  The materials in the room are natural and enticing to encourage the child to explore and learn gross motor skills.  This ideology continues and sets a foundation for the continuing years into toddlers, pre-school and beyond.

When Lisa was asked about the growth she has seen she responded. “Over the years, we have observed Campbell grow into a collaborator, who is respectful of her community, and someone who takes pride in her own individual accomplishments. My husband and I will often stand back silently and observe Campbell growing into a budding leader who has been groomed to look beyond her own personal limitations. This is because of Montessori's multi-age grouping where she once was the mentee, and now she is the mentor. Who would have thought that these kids would be developing leadership skills so young?! With that role, there is a certain level of maturity that I certainly didn't expect from a child so young. This is directly attributable to the kind of environment that she is in. A traditional (school) environment can appear very linear (i.e. You go to school and the teacher has an agenda and the children follow that agenda. The End.) On the other hand, a Montessori environment encourages the children to create their own agenda for the day, thereby taking responsibility for their own actions. For our daughters, it allowed them to figure things out, encouraging curiosity but without imposing a ceiling. Ultimately, this builds such a great sense of self, which is so important in the early years.”

Montessori follows the child’s level of learning, so there is no comparing of children of the same age.  This alleviates any stigma associated with learning.  Learning becomes a self exploratory experience guided by the teacher.  Pre-school teacher and Director of Primary, Tori Virlee said, “Every child benefits from the Montessori environment and philosophy even when starting after the age of three.  However, it is amazing to watch a child with the Montessori foundation from infants and toddlers come into the pre-school environment.  Imagine what a three year old with a strong foundation of order, concentration, coordination and independence can accomplish in the following years.  These children learn without limits.” 

If you are interested in learning more about the Montessori Method, there are many books and websites that can give you the basics, but to really see the proof in the pudding, you have to see with your own eyes. You will be amazed!