Prospective Parents
Mastro Montessori
36 Birch Avenue, Little Silver, New Jersey 07739-1194 • (732) 842-5816
Established in 1968
Celebrating 40 years of Montessori Education in Monmouth County
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OBSERVING A PRESCHOOL
The children and the staff of Mastro Montessori welcome you.
We hope that you will enjoy seeing us at work.
We suggest two goals for your observation.
1 – To better understand the work children do here and how they do it.
2 – To recognize how the specially prepared environment nurtures children’s natural abilities
and fosters the growth of a community of children according to their individual needs.
WHAT YOU’LL SEE: AN OVERVIEW
In a Montessori classroom, the space and everything in it is deliberately designed and
arranged to invite exploration and facilitate independent learning. Furniture and equipment
are child-sized and organized into work areas. Materials are arranged attractively and
activities presented sequentially, giving children ample opportunity to:
• Gain control over their bodily movements.
• Gain independence in the care of their person.
• Isolate sensory experiences.
• Build a foundation for intellectual functioning in language, mathematics, art,
music and eventually the cultural subjects of geography and science.
During your observation, you will see children move freely from work area to work area,
selecting materials from shelves and taking them to a table or a mat spread out on the
floor. They will work with the material they have chosen for as long as it holds their interest
then return it to its proper place – all without disturbing classmates who are busy and
focused themselves. You may also see children working in pairs or small groups; the
directress presenting a lesson to one or more children; or older children helping
younger ones.
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A PRESCHOOL
Watch for the joy.
Do children freely express excitement over a new discovery and want to share what
they’ve learned? Do children approach each other to work together? Do they gather
around with interest when someone says, “Aha!”
Look for the learning.
How is this “work of the child” done? Does the work have a purpose? Does the workhave a purpose beyond the completion of the task or operation at hand? What do yousee that reflects the notion that children in Montessori classrooms learn how to learn?
Get a sense of the community.
What is the social nature of this classroom? How do children treat each other and the
adults in the classroom? How are they treated by the adults? When do the children
socialize? How does the way they socialize when they are at work differ from the way
they socialize on the playground?
Check for:
INDEPENDENCE– the primary goal of our Montessori school is to help children grow
towards independence, self-direction, and inner self-discipline. It is hoped that each
child here will acquire a sense of self-acceptance and social responsibility and a feeling
of having undergone successful experiences.
ORDER–In the primary classes, the materials are arranged into four categories: practical
life, sensorial, mathematics, and language. Only one set of materials may be used at a
time and the materials must be returned as they were found to their proper place.
FREEDOM–Although the Montessori prepared environment is carefully planned and
structured, children have complete freedom to choose the activities they want to do
and to do them for as long as they choose.
DISCIPLINE—With freedom of movement come limits that must be respected. Children
may not disturb one another, be unduly boisterous, or abuse the materials. When discipline
is required it is achieved by bringing the children into contact with work that absorbs their
interest and helps them control their bodily movements .
DIRECTION –Children who work at one or two tasks without fatigue or restlessness for
the entire work period (usually 2 to 2 ½ hours) are considered “normalized.” Ordinarily it
takes 3 to 5 months to achieve this. Until a child has, the directress is very active
presenting materials and controlling the direction of the child’s work. Once children
do arrive at “normalization,” the directress becomes more of an observer and guides
only when asked.
You can read more about us and our staff. See how the Montessori Method can provide the ideal learning environment for your preschool or elementary school child. We offer an early preschool program and All Day Program to accommodate our parents needs. Contact us to see Montessori in action at our weekly Open House. Learn more about how to observe a preschool in action.
Call Mastro Montessori Academy at 732-842-5816 and schedule a visit today.
