Bilingual Montessori

The “Absorbent Mind” is the way Maria Montessori describes our “Toddler” class. She compares the toddler’s mind to a sponge because the children literally absorb information from the environment. The Bilingual Montessori School of Sharon environment emphasizes both materials and activities scaled to the children’s size and abilities, and where they can see the world using their five senses as tools. The toddler is not concerned about academic pursuits; he is rather focused on his own world. Our environment gives them the opportunity to have hands-on experience with their world. The toddler’s main interest is to discover and explore the world around him. Our program encourages their sense of discovery by giving them opportunities to develop movement, and activities to develop their independence. We establish a safe and colorful environment with a variety of educational materials to help them happily develop their individuality.

Le Grand Jardin, Primary or preschool classroom allows the preschoolers to learn and thrive on their own experiences. The room is outfitted with child-sized tables and chairs arranged in small clusters. The Preschool materials are placed on child-height shelves throughout. The activities are initially presented by the teacher and maybe chosen freely by the children as their interest dictates. Our program includes activities for engaging in practical skills, materials for the development of senses, math, language, music, and art materials. In our multi-age grouping, we encourage peer collaboration and assistance which can help the children achieve their potential, increase their confidence and self-esteem. The preschool classroom is designed for the children’s most sensitive years (between 3 and 6), so they can absorb their information from an enriched environment. According to Maria Montessori, “No human educates another human being. He must do it himself or it will never be done.” The goal of a classroom at BMSS is not to fill the child with textbook facts, but rather to cultivate his own natural desire to learn. Our goal is to create the proper environment for the children to experience the enthusiasm of learning by making their own choices, and to help the primary students cultivate their own natural desire to learn.

GRADES 1 through 3 The child has reached the point of abstract thinking Children between the ages of 6 and 12 reach the pinnacle of their mental abilities. Now able to form hypotheses, use logic and reason, glean information through research, and make knowledgeable assumptions and suppositions; the child has reached the point of abstract thinking. This is a period of strong social interaction in which the child’s moral compass has advanced beyond the simple idea of fairness, to a desire to not only comprehend why humans act and react as they do but to discover ways of solving societal problems. Students develop both academic and social skills that they will use in their adult professional and private lives. For instance, working with others, group problem-solving, respectful conflict resolution, leadership, empathy, and compassion.