About UsMontessori Environment
The Montessori School of Lakewood is a private school for children 2.5 to 12 years. It was founded in 1978 and is located ten minutes west of downtown Denver at 5925 W. 1st Avenue in Lakewood, Colorado. The Montessori School of Lakewood recognizes the child's need to learn by doing, therefore we provide an environment rich in experiences. The children work spontaneously and with pleasure. Teachers work with each child according to individual requirements and interests. In this environment, each child is able to reach the same or even a higher level of scholastic attainment as under the traditional system. Each child works at his or her own pace. In place of competition, we provide endless opportunities among the children for mutual help - Which is joyfully given and gratefully received. This is encouraged by a three-year age span in each classroom. Both the older and younger child benefit from this relationship. Our intent is to encourage each child's natural desire to explore the world, to promote a positive self image, to develop independence, propogate a love of others. Our goal is to help each child develop a positive outlook on life, so that as an adult, he or she will be capable of meeting the changing times with new solutions. This child will not grow to be the victim of events, but will have the courage and knowledge to constructively direct the future. We strive for an active discipline which originates within the child and is not imposed from without. We believe in the necessity for respect for the child's personality without the dominating influence of the adult, thus leaving the child room to grow in biological independence. The child is allowed a large measure of liberty (not license) which forms the basis of real discipline. Since the child works from free choice, without competition and coercion, there is not the danger of overstrain, feeling of inferiority, and other experiences which are apt to be the unconscious cause of mental disturbances later in life. We believe in the development of the whole personality of the child, not merely the intellectual faculties, but also powers of deliberation, initiative and independent choice, with their emotional complements. By living as a free member of a real social community, the child is trained in those fundamental social qualities which form the basis of good citizenship.FacultyOur teachers are exceptional. Their experience in the Montessori classroom ranges from 15 to 30 years. They have worked together as a team for 14 years. All teachers have AMI and/or AMS training as well as degrees in Education and/or Psychology. The teachers have created an atmosphere of order, joy and discovery for the children. They plan lessons based on careful observation of each child. They are dedicated to helping each individual fulfill his or her unique potential. Primary (2 1/2 to 6 years)
"The most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six. For that is the time when man's intelligence itself, his greatest implement is being formed." (The Absorbent Mind, Maria Montessori) Many skills are easier for a child to learn at this age than at any other time in life. The activities in the primary environment invite a child to learn according to his or her own interest and readiness. As a child makes choices, he or she is motivated from within by a natural curiosity and love for knowledge. The child is allowed to experience the excitement of discovering concepts through the use of his or her hands and senses. The environment allows the child to focus attention on a chosen task. The concentration a child develops during these focused periods provides a strong foundation for future intellectual development. A child is capable of learning a great deal during these years. ElementaryThe elementary environment is designed to capture the child's imagination. The material awakens the child's interest and offers the possibility of asking questions and finding answers. The environment provides a choice of activity and the opportunity to develop socially through work with companions.
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