Westside Montessori Academy Society

The unique education philosophy set out over a century ago by Dr. Maria Montessori aims to develop the child s innate desire to learn. Dr. Montessori recognized that a natural curiosity and a love of knowledge drive children. To educate the whole child Dr. Montessori felt the child must have the freedom to learn at his own pace and in his own individual manner. The Directress or the guide directs the child s energies into constructive learning channels, taking into account the differences in learning styles and pace. The environment is specially prepared to encourage directed, independent learning. The directresses guide the activity by giving knowledge in the form of presentations. They carefully observe and record the child s efforts on a daily basis so that the child s progress is immediately available in their file. The child is able to learn and acquire an inner discipline . This is the core of the Dr. Montessori educational philosophy.