Key Features of a Montessori Preschool

At Triangle Montessori Academy (TMA), we are proud to represent true Montessori education and all its benefits. The following are some of the key features you’ll find in our classrooms.

1. Classrooms that include children of different ages. The multi-age classroom gives children many unique learning opportunities. Younger children naturally learn by emulating children who are older than themselves.Younger children watch their older peers model how to participate in the classroom learning activities, how to engage with the teacher and their peers, and how to move from one activity to the next. The older children also benefit from the multi-age classroom. They get an opportunity to practice their leadership skills and develop empathy as they help younger students learn. Older students get the opportunity to act as mentors and reinforce their own learning as they help the younger children gain skills. 
2. An environment that emphasizes responsibility and self-discipline: When a child takes part in a student centered education, they discover their own path to learning with guidance from their teachers.This helps children learn about responsibility. They need to learn how to work within the framework and schedule of the classroom and use their time constructively. They even learn to take responsibility for helping younger children in the classroom who may be struggling with a concept they themselves have already mastered. Another aspect of responsibility is self-discipline. Children naturally want to feel that they belong in a group. They want to have friends at school, and they want to do well academically. When a child knows they are responsible for their own behavior and their own success in learning, they feel more motivated to regulate their own behavior. 
3. A curriculum that emphasizes independence: The traditional learning model says to children do what you’re told to do. Independence, like every other aspect of adult life, is learned little by little in growing increments, with each learning milestone supporting the successful development of the next. In a Montessori preschool, children learn how to be self-directed. They choose the activities that appeal to them and they are free to explore these activities at their own pace. Sometimes they make mistakes, but that is the beauty of independence. 
4. An orderly classroom with prepared workstations: Teachers prepares a wide range of learning activities well before the children arrive to the Montessori classroom. Children independently choose one of those learning activities to pursue during that class. Then they’re given an uninterrupted period of time to complete that activity and return materials to their proper place at the end. The Montessori work cycle teaches children to focus their attention and learn how to complete a task with minimal help. As a result, children feel a sense of accomplishment with each work cycle they successfully complete. 
5. A teacher who guides rather than directs: The focus of Montessori classes is on the students, not the teacher. You won’t see a TMA educator in front of the classroom lecturing. Teachers guide and support children as they pursue learning on their own. 
6. Parents who understand and are involved in their child’s education: In the Montessori classroom, parents are recognized as valuable partners in their children’s education. Montessori teachers know that parental involvement is key to a child’s success. 
7. An atmosphere of mutual respect: The teachers in the Montessori classroom understand that each child has an innate desire to learn when given the opportunity to do so in a way that fits their strengths and learning style. Children in the Montessori setting also learn to respect their teachers and their peers. They come to understand that everyone is part of a community that supports each other while they learn together. 

Triangle Montessori Academy is a Cary preschool emphasizing art, mathematics, practical life, Spanish, yoga, meditation, and music. The private, year-round school was founded in 2008 and accepts children from 18 months old up to six years old. The school is a member of the American Montessori Society and all teachers are AMS-certified. Students at the school are exposed to Montessori-style teaching approaches, including individual learning according to each child’s style and pace, multi-age classrooms that allow children to advance when they are ready, and a nurturing of students’ natural curiosity.

For more information, call 919.463.7770, or visit our Website at www.trianglemontessori.org.