Today, through the doors of Bend Montessori School, 3-year olds, Hayden and Lily, begin their day by hanging up their own coats, putting on inside slippers and washing their hands before heading upstairs, with their friends, for circle time. During circle time, the children sing songs and share objects they brought from home that begin with the sound of the week. A 'meteorologist' is chosen to tell us about the weather. Their Montessori teacher then holds up their name cards and when the children recognize their own, they are free to get up and choose their 'work.' Some choose to work alone while others choose to work together and the happy sounds of work time begin.

5-year-old Otis and his friend, Marc, continue working on their number rolls; now in the 200's. Ethan has gotten out the
thousand bead chain and begins placing it on the long thin piece of felt that stretches the length of the classroom. He counts out loud, 'one 10, two 10's, three 10's, continuing up to ten 10's and then adds the hundred counter.

The other children in the class seem equally energetic as they follow their own independent agendas. Nearby, two 3-year-olds stack pink blocks, watch them topple, then stack them again, this time with the larger blocks on the bottom.

'Help me help myself' is what children learn at Bend Montessori School.

Teacher, Pam Seidel, is known as a 'guide' in her Montessori classroom and her role is to help the children actively discover knowledge. She sits on the floor with Otis and Marc, who show their number rolls. She turns to Rebecca and, together, they sound out the sandpaper letters.

As the children's guide, Miss Pam, as the children call her, says her ultimate goal is to intervene less and less as the child develops. With the younger being more active, Miss Pam demonstrates the use of materials and explains activities based on an assessment of the child's needs. As the child becomes more experienced and mature, she steps back and becomes more of an observer, always prepared to step forward when a new concept needs to be introduced. She observes the subtle signs that indicate when a child is ready to move on to a more advanced task or needs help.

Montessori History

Nearly a century ago, a young Italian physician imagined that children would learn better in a classroom like this - a place where they could choose among lessons carefully designed to encourage development through their five senses. Since then, the views of Maria Montessori include the notions that children learn through hands-on activity, that the preschool years are a time of critical brain development and that parents are the best partners in their child's education.

Creativity flourishes in an environment of acceptance and trust. Montessorians recognize that each child learns and expresses himself in a very individual way and that each will have his own interests, abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Each child learns at his own pace and will be ready for any given lesson in his own time, not on the teacher's schedule of lessons. There is no 'one' way to work on a lesson and the children are encouraged to think outside the box and embrace our imperfect world.

What happens after a Montessori education?

Montessori children are extremely adaptable. They have learned to work both independently and in groups. Since they have been encouraged to make decisions at an early age, these children are problem solvers who can make choices and manage their time well. They have also been encouraged to exchange ideas and to discuss their work freely with others and good communication skills ease the way in new settings. They have learned courtesy and manners and a respect of self, others and our environment.

Research has shown that the best predictor of future success is a sense of self esteem. A successful Montessori school fosters
an 'I can do it' attitude for a child's future success in all aspects of his or her life.