Learning Environment

Studies have shown that children with Montessori early childhood experience enter elementary school with curiosity, self-discipline, initiative, persistence, concentration and a positive attitude toward school.

• Experiential Learning

  Students enrolled at Stonebrook Montessori achieve high levels of understanding through hands-on, experiential learning from math and science to language and the arts. Children learn by working with special Montessori materials that embody concepts and develop specific skills. The strong, interdisciplinary curriculum engages students and puts learning into a meaningful context. The curriculum also emphasizes respectful behaviors and courteous interactions with one another, their community and their environment.

• Teachers & Staff

  Stonebrook Montessori has a professional staff of caring and highly-trained adults who create a dynamic environment conducive to learning and where each child experiences the affirming quality of being loved and nurtured. Teachers work with children for three consecutive years, gaining a unique perspective of their learning styles and tailoring lessons to individual students’ needs. All personnel exhibit a consistent awareness of Montessori philosophy and model the school’s core values.

• Indoors

  Entering the school building, you will be struck by an elegant and architecturally inspiring interior intentionally designed to nurture a lifetime of positive development and learning. Classroom environments are cozy, comfortable places where key learning skills and social behavior can develop. The Montessori materials and activities are attractively arranged on low open shelves and invite engagement. These include bright arrays of solid geometric forms, knobbed puzzle maps, colored math beads, beautiful language cards, cultural objects, and beautiful boxes and baskets.

• Outdoors

  The learning environment extends to the outdoors. Areas are designed to stimulate the senses and invoke curiosity. Children are welcome to take their work to outdoor tables, to work in gardens and care for animals. They are also encouraged to play creatively and learn from exploring natural areas. Not far from the school, the city’s vast Cultural Gardens, Greenhouse, Doan Brook and Lake Erie are accessible as learning labs. Environmental responsibility and awareness of the natural world are reflected in the design of the building and grounds, and also in the regular routines of children, which include recycling and energy conservation.

Programs

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  Primary

  Children ages 3-6 work in the “children’s house” where there are integrated activities in the areas of practical life, sensorial, mathematics and language. Geography, cultural studies, art, music and science are incorporated in these areas. Recognizing the individual nature of the child, lessons are given on a one-to-one basis.

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  Lower Elementary

  Children ages 6-9 work in classrooms that respond to their expanding view of the world and the universe, moving toward more abstraction and going out to learn beyond the classroom walls. Children at this age are social beings, so lessons are given in small groups where knowledge is shared and collaborative work results.