Why CMSAA? The Christian Montessori Difference…
Respect for the child guides all of our programming at CMSAA. Our goal is to encourage in each child a love of learning; a respect for self, others and environment; and a desire to make the world a better place. We believe that Maria Montessori developed a method of education that does just that and inspires a lifelong love of learning at the same time.
Our Christianity defines who we are as a Montessori school. Just as we prepare the classroom environments for the child to self-construct, we prepare the environment for the child to develop a personal loving relationship with God. Our focus is based less on doctrine than on relationship.
What Dr. Montessori developed over 100 years ago was revolutionary in her time and so changed the way we think about children and education, that many of her innovations have become best practices accepted by traditional educational institutions.
Although tactile manipulatives and multi-age groupings may have become commonplace in early childhood classrooms, the philosophy behind them, the deep respect for children, the understanding of the human being and the fundamental need for freedom within limits is where we take our inspiration.
That is what makes us Montessori, our commitment to what Maria Montessori recognized and unveiled to the generations that followed her – the child is the maker of man, that in each child is the man or woman he or she will become. What we do now, what experiences we offer to that child at this stage in life, will inform the adult that is to emerge.
Throughout all our programs we use this thought as our guide in creating developmentally appropriate prepared environments that promote functional independence and encourage children to take responsibility for their education, which results in true independence of their intellect and inspires them for a lifetime.