Montessori School of Charlottesville

Our mission is to follow the philosophy and practice of Dr. Maria Montessori, fostering personal independence and social responsibility in each individual. Our peaceful community thrives with the cooperation of children, staff and families as we work to make a positive difference in the world we share. The Montessori School of Charlottesville is an independent non-profit 501 c (3) school open to children and families of all backgrounds. The school enrolls children ages 21 months through kindergarten in two locations in Charlottesville, Virginia: 631 Cutler Lane and 1602 Gordon Avenue. The Gordon Avenue location offers full day schooling (8:30am — 5:30pm) for children ages 21 months to 6 years. Components necessary for a program to be considered authentically Montessori include multiage groupings that foster peer learning, uninterrupted blocks of work time, and guided choice of work activity. In addition, a full complement of specially designed Montessori learning materials are meticulously arranged and available for use in an aesthetically pleasing environment. The teacher, child, and environment create a learning triangle. The classroom is prepared by the teacher to encourage independence, freedom within limits, and a sense of order. The child, through individual choice, makes use of what the environment offers to develop himself, interacting with the teacher when support and/or guidance is needed. Multiage groupings are a hallmark of the Montessori Method: younger children learn from older children; older children reinforce their learning by teaching concepts they have already mastered. This arrangement also mirrors the real world, where individuals work and socialize with people of all ages and dispositions. Dr. Montessori observed that children experience sensitive periods, or windows of opportunity, as they grow. As their students develop, Montessori teachers match appropriate lessons and materials to these sensitive periods when learning is most naturally absorbed and internalized. In early childhood, Montessori students learn through sensory-motor activities, working with materials that develop their cognitive powers through direct experience: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, and movement.