About Us

Montessori Philosophy

“Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.”

– Maria Montessori

The Montessori philosophy is built upon the idea that children develop and think differently than adults, that they are not merely “adults in small bodies.” Dr. Montessori advocated for children’s rights and believed that children need guidance to develop themselves into successful adults.

The method was developed from observations of young children from which a set of characteristics of children was created for each level of development. The Montessori method has two primary development levels, the first is birth through six years old. A Montessori classroom for the infant, toddler and preschooler focuses on individually paced learning and development.

Montessori Method Principles

The Montessori method encourages independence and freedom with limits and responsibility. The Montessori method states that satisfaction, contentment and joy result from the child feeling like a full participant in daily activities.

Respect for the Child

Respect for the child is the cornerstone of the Montessori philosophy. Allowing children to do things independently and to learn for themselves ensures that they will develop confidence and a love for learning that will blossom as they grow.

The Absorbent Mind

The Absorbent Mind is the aspect of Montessori that acknowledges that children can’t help but learn. By absorbing the world around them, children learn simply by living. In the Montessori classroom, there is never a shortage of opportunities for children to explore and learn.

Sensitive Periods

Sensitive Periods are the periods of time in a child’s development when their readiness and their interest in a concept coincides. Maria Montessori recognized that this was the ideal time to present opportunities for the child to learn.

The Prepared Environment

The Prepared Environment is a very important part of the Montessori classroom. It is a beautiful and orderly environment designed with children in mind. In this environment, children have the freedom and the safety to choose which encourages confidence and independence as they learn.

The Teacher’s Role

In a Montessori classroom, the teacher serves as a guide. They are ready and available to help when necessary, but they are not an obstacle between the child and their experience. It is the teacher’s role to provide the ideal environment, model respect, and cue in to each child’s individual needs all while encouraging the children to educate themselves.

Your child will flourish here.

Our goal is to help children maintain their own natural joy of learning. The Montessori method encourages independence and freedom with limits and responsibility.

How we implement Montessori into free play. 

Montessori is a highly hands-on approach to learning. It encourages children to develop their observation skills by doing many types of activities using all of the five senses. It uses what are called “works” – individual workstations – to demonstrate various concepts appropriate to the child’s age and level of development. The teacher demonstrates the “work” to the child and then the child will be encouraged to do the activity either individually or with another child.

Proof of the Method

A 2006 study published in the journal “Science” concluded that Montessori students performed better than their standard public school counterparts in a variety of arenas, including not only traditional academic areas such as language and mathematical reasoning, but in social cognition skills as well.

“By the end of kindergarten, the Montessori children performed better on standardized tests of reading and math, engaged in positive interaction on the playground more, and showed advanced social cognition and executive control more. They also showed more concern for fairness and justice.”

Kind Words from

District 196 Teachers

**The teachers and staff at All Stars are truly amazing. They give individualized care to each of our children and meet them where they are at socially and academically. All the teachers know all the kids and it is a truly welcoming & supportive environment where my kids have been able to grow and thrive.