This is an important consideration for parents given that full-day kindergarten is now available in Ontario. Why pay tuition fees for Montessori, when the public school system offers an early learning child care program? The comparison of traditional vs. Montessori education provides good insights to this question. Also, there is an excellent article (Why Montessori for the kindergarten years?) by Tim Seldin, President of the Montessori Foundation and Chair of the International Montessori Council, and Dr. Elizabeth Coe, Montessori Educator and Researcher specializing in early adolescence, that further explains the Montessori advantage.
Children learn from each other. When children are grouped by age, the range of capabilities is considerably smaller than when several ages are grouped together. A mixed age grouping allows younger children to have role models to emulate and gives the older children an opportunity to reinforce their knowledge and leadership by helping the younger Each child has the opportunity to experience being the youngest, middle and oldest member of the group. This coincides with real life: our society is not segmented into age groups. As adults we have friends and acquaintances of different ages. The Montessori classroom reflects our society through its diversity of ages and backgrounds.
Skills, such as reading, which are not so much taught as they are learned, require progressive build up and reinforcement to ensure success. The same can be said for personal work habits and social interactions. Enrolling your child for three consecutive years provides consistency and stability, ensuring they gain the full benefits of the Montessori program.
Dr. Montessori realized that children’s play is their work—their effort to master their own bodies and environment—and out of respect she used the term “work” to describe all their classroom activities. Montessori students work hard, but they don’t experience it as drudgery; rather, it’s an expression of their natural curiosity and desire to learn.
Research shows that Montessori children retain key academic and social strengths that support a balanced and successful life. Montessori kids are known for their knowledge base, poise and enthusiasm for learning. They also score well on standardized tests at the elementary level and up. There is a growing list of prominent Montessori alumni including Larry Page and Sergei Brin, co-founders of Google, Jeffrey Bezos, genius behind Amazon, Julia Childs, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and several actors like Helen Hunt and Melissa Gilbert.
Western Heights Montessori Academy, previously known as Little Lords and Ladies Children’s Centre, has been proudly serving the Oakville, Burlington and Milton community over the past 7 years and enjoys great reputation in the neighborhood.
Our Montessori teachers are AMI or MACTE certified experienced teachers. AMI and MACTE are two Montessori accreditation organizations that are recognized around the globe. All our teachers are registered Early Childhood Educators with strong experience working with young children. Teachers at Western Heights Montessori not only go through rigorous interview and background verification processes, but are also required to go through a three-month probation period to ensure we retain the best teachers for your children.
We understand our parents have busy lives. We decided to offer extended hours between 7am and 6:00pm to provide our busy parents added flexibility for pick-up and drop-off. We hope you don’t have to rush to get here and have peace of mind that your child is in good hands.
At Western Heights, we strive to provide the best education and care possible for your child. Our mission is to offer an enriched and customized education experience to your child while allowing you, the busy parent(s), to be part of the journey. Our close-knit community and small class sizes allow us to give the 1-on-1 attention your child deserves. Our experienced and caring teachers make every effort to provide you frequent updates on your child’s progress and works with you to develop the best learning plan for your child. There are many advantages to our program. Learn more about us by visiting our “Why Us” page or simply schedule a tour to experience it in person!