Looking for a school for your child can be an overwhelming task. There are so many things to consider when you are trying to find a place for your little one. Is the school inviting and warm? Is the staff highly qualified and well trained? Do they have a curriculum that teaches not just academics but social skills as well? At Applebee Montessori Academy, the answer to all of these questions is …YES!
Not only is the Montessori school curriculum much broader than most other curriculums, it teaches more than just the basics. There are so many real life benefits to a Montessori education that are hard to explain in few short paragraphs, but to provide you with a brief understanding of why so many parents choose Montessori Education for their children we have compiled a list of the top ten reasons parents prefer a Montessori preschool over traditional preschool.
“Children are as independent as you expect them to be”-Maria Montessori Montessori environment is created to foster independence. The environment is prepared to allow the child to learn to do things for themselves that would otherwise be done by an adult. Because of this, children begin to develop a sense of pride in doing things independently. These tasks include washing dishes, caring for plants, and folding child-sized wash cloths. This results in not only an empowered child, but it also gives children a sense of confidence and personal achievement.
Applebee Montessori follows the best practice standards for early childhood education and Montessori early learning. Our owners, administration and teachers believe early childhood education should prepare children for accomplishments later in life and school.
“Do not tell them how to do it. Show them how to do it and do not say a word. If you tell them they will watch your lips move. If you show them, they will want to do it themselves.”-Maria Montessori
All children learn in their own way and at their own pace and at Applebee Montessori Academy, our guides have developed a program that is designed to be specific to each child’s interests and needs. Our prepared environments were designed to encourage children to actively take part in their learning.
Montessori curriculum covers five key areas that focus on full development of the child. These are: practical life, sensorial, mathematics, language, and culture. The Montessori Curriculum at Applebee links with the educational programs that children will learn at school, while also teaching them real life skills.
Many schools focus solely on academia and have children working in rooms with other children their own age, but Montessori environments often group children, that are within a three-year age range of each other, together. This structure encourages children to role model, collaborate with others, and fosters imitative learning. As a result, children learn to respect each other, develop team building skills, and create a sense of community. These “soft skills” are important to the full development of children and instill not only strong academic skills but strong emotional skills, peace education, a greater capacity for empathy and many other social skills.
Self-correction and self-assessment are a fundamental part of Montessori education. As children progress through the Applebee, they learn to look critically at their own work, and correct the mistakes they find. We offer children the space to question and make connections in their work, which in turn leads to students who become confident and independent learners.
The guides at Applebee Montessori must be highly trained and meet many strict requirements to be able to work at the Academy.Not only are they trained and certified to teach in a Montessori pre-school, but they are also highly trained by the state of Texas in areas such as child growth and development, nutrition, Pediatric CPR/First Aid, and much more. In addition to having an advanced skill set, our guides are also required to obtain 24 hours of training per year in a variety of child development topics. Our Director has over 15 years of experience in classrooms and child-care management, as well as a National Administrators Credential.
When designing the prepared environments at Applebee, the primary consideration was to establish a learning environment that is supportive of children’s interests and development needs as they grow. By doing this we have created an environment that instills not only a love of learning but also positive foundations for a lifetime.
“Play is the work of the child”-Maria Montessori
Children enrolled at Applebee Montessori Academy learn about all areas of the curriculum by actively participating in activities that engage multiple senses.
Children will not only learn from working but through many other avenues as well. For example, a child will learn about different cultures by seeing his teacher dressed up in the traditional clothing of that culture.
We hope that these small glimpses into why parents so often chose Montessori over traditional preschools will help you in making this decision for your family.
We cannot wait to meet you and show you around our beautiful school, introduce you to our staff and show you why we are the best McKinney Montessori!