INTRODUCTION

Dr. Montessori, being a scientist first and foremost,  designed the very materials educators use today in any quality Montessori school. They were designed to provide optimal learning experiences for children from birth through approximately age six, during the developmental stage she referred to as the “Absorbent Mind”. During this stage a child’s brain is absorbing data at a rate that will be unparalleled though out the remainder of their lifetime. Thus, making Pinnacle’s high-quality environment the best choice for your child and their future academic achievements.

Dr. Montessori instructs educators to “follow the child”, thus, Pinnacle’s educators utilize their training and observations giving timely lessons to bring about the most beneficial outcomes for their students. This allows freedoms to be granted within the environment as students are developmentally ready to embrace them. A respect for self, their friends, educators, and the classroom environment, is learned through the lessons of grace and courtesy within Practical Life, line time, and Peace Area.

Within a Montessori environment, children may work on their own, or within small productive groups.

PRACTICAL LIFE

The area known as ‘Practical Life’ is the foundation for all other areas of a Montessori learning environment. Pinnacle recognizes the value of these lessons providing rich and ample resources for each child.

Practical Life provides an array of enticing lessons: hand washing, table scrubbing, hand-whisking bubbles, cleaning up spills, pouring, spooning, polishing of glass, silver, and brass. All materials are non-toxic. the opportunities are boundless. You might be asking yourself, “why are these lessons so important?”.

The answer is simple, our students, with a ripple effect of benefits, learn grace and courtesy, care of self, and care of their classroom. They will begin to refine their large and small motor skills, and each lesson learned will be those they will utilize throughout their lifetime. What naturally follows from these  are the skills of independence, concentration, confidence, and order.

 ART

Dr. Montessori was a proponent for allowing the child to develop their own personal artistic flow within their own manner of expression. The idea of having a vase with a flower at the front of the class in which each child had to replicate it precisely would have been abhorrent to her. That being stated, opportunities for artistic expression cross all academic areas within the Montessori classroom environment, Sensorial, Math, Language, and Cultural Subjects. Children are presented with developmentally appropriate opportunities for self-expression for lessons, as well as, creative projects, utilizing various mediums. Pinnacle Montessori has them all at the ready for your child to begin their journey of artistic exploration.