Our Mission & Guiding Principles

“The child learns everything without knowing he or she is learning it, and in doing so passes little by little from the unconscious to conscious, treading in the paths of joy and love.”

~Maria Montessori

The mission of Philly Montessori is to bring out each child’s natural curiosity, joy for learning, and independence by adhering to these 5 guiding principles:

Authentic Montessori Classroom

Montessori environments nurture each child’s individual curiosity, self-motivation, and love of learning. Through hands on learning and individualized learning plans, Montessori classrooms not only lay strong foundations for academic readiness, but they also place a strong emphasis on emotional intelligence, leading to highly perceptive, empathetic and collaborative learners.  Philly Montessori is accredited by the American Montessori Society (AMS), and as an accredited program, Philly Montessori holds these fundamental characteristics: specially trained Montessori certified teachers, self-correcting materials, uninterrupted work cycles, mixed-age classrooms, and a carefully designed environment. Learn more about Montessori and our curriculum.

Micro-School

Our beautiful micro-school mimics the very first Montessori school which was called, “Il Casa Dei Bambini”, and directly translates to, “the house for children”. By scaling down the size of our student body, our school truly feels like a house that is created just for children. Students in a Philly Montessori classroom have complete access to the entire campus, including: a fully equipped Montessori classroom, an indoor gym, and an urban garden. Our classroom teachers also serve as school administrators, which allows for them to more nimbly and aptly make programmatic decisions that respond to each unique group of students that they serve. By cutting out the traditional role of administrators, teachers and parents have direct communication on a daily basis, leading to strong and trusting relationships. Throughout the year, parents are welcomed into the classroom, to observe, participate, or even share their own hobbies or passions with our school community.

Bilingual Immersion

Philly Montessori classrooms are Spanish immersion classrooms; wherein, we use the one care giver, one language approach. Following this approach, at least one teacher speaks Spanish exclusively with the children in the classroom, while the other teacher speaks English. The one caregiver one language approach allows children to assimilate into the classroom environment and with the new language at their own pace and when they are ready. This approach further allows Spanish dominant speaking children to ease into an English speaking environment without hindering any aspects of their learning. We also incorporate the Spanish language into many of our classroom activities, and explore various Latino and Hispanic cultures through explorations of food, music, and dance.

We believe that learning a second language at such a young age is not only more easily done, but it also adds to the child’s brain development and problem solving skills. Read more…

Community Collaboration

We believe that community-based businesses are essential to our city. Being a locally owned and operated program, we strive to build a natural bridge between our classroom and community. We see ourselves as a natural gathering place– a contributing member of the “village” that it takes to raise a child. Once a week on “parent helpers” days we invite parents into our classroom to join us in our daily activities, or to share an interest or talent with the children. We bring Philly into our school, introducing our children to local artists, musicians, chefs, and skilled professionals who can share their talents.

Our current Community Collaborators include:

Mister John’s Music, The Hungry Pigeon,and Three Queens Yoga

Connection to Nature

A sense of caring and responsibility for the world around us begins at the very youngest age, as children notice even the most subtle details of the world around them. Philly Montessori aims to be a low- or zero-waste classroom, and models care for the environment wherever possible—including engaging children to participate in our organic garden and composting efforts. Our snack menu changes with the seasons, and features local, organic ingredients year-round. We only use natural, non-toxic cleaners in the school.

Philly Montessori teachers foster each child’s natural sense of wonder by bringing nature into the classroom for children to work with, observe, and research. We believe that when a child has a positive connection to the natural world, they will grow up caring for and protecting the Earth. Philly Montessori children spend time outside daily. By taking time to explore our environment, we hope to cultivate a deep-rooted love for the world around us.

“Play is the work of childhood”
~ Maria Montessori