Why Montessori?

Dr. Maria Montessori recognized the importance of having children connect with nature and viewed the outdoor environment as an extension of the classroom. In nature, opportunities for experiential learning abound. As children interact with the physical world, they explore with all of their senses and observe the interconnectedness of all things. 

Our Parent-Toddler Program offers parents and their children support and community while navigating the most formative years of human development. Led by an experienced, Montessori-certified instructor, the weekly classes equip parents with the knowledge and techniques to meet their toddlers' needs for cognitive, physical, social, and emotional growth. One of the greatest benefits of this popular program is the supportive environment it provides for parents to bond with their children and to connect with like-minded families also experiencing similar challenges and milestones.

With current stay-at-home orders posing limitations on children's structured and unstructured outlets for staying active, it is important to make a more conscious effort to incorporate movement into their day. Gladwyne Montessori's Occupational Therapist Ashley Seiver explains the benefits of movement for children and shares techniques to help them maintain an active lifestyle in spite of the challenges created by the pandemic. 

Gladwyne Montessori's Elementary teachers are finding creative ways to support their students' learning from a distance. Although the annual county-wide Reading Olympics competition was cancelled, our school decided to host a virtual competition to honor the hard work of our nine participants, who under the leadership of Gladwyne Montessori Librarian Sacha Page, have been diligently preparing throughout the year for the event.

The Montessori philosophy fosters a child's growth in all areas of development—cognitive, physical, and emotional—by nurturing independence and the child's innate desire for exploration, learning, and respect. Its practice can be extended beyond the classroom and in the home without formal materials, simply by integrating basic principles into daily life.