FAQ

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

1.    Where did Montessori come from? 
Montessori education was founded in 1907 by Dr. Maria Montessori, the first woman in Italy to become a physician. She based her educational methods on scientific observation of children's learning processes. Guided by her discovery that children teach themselves, Dr. Montessori designed a "prepared environment" in which children could freely choose from a number of developmentally appropriate activities. Now, nearly a century after Maria Montessori's first casa dei bambini ("children's house") in Rome, Montessori education is found all over the world, spanning ages from birth to adolescence. 

2.    What is the difference between Montessori and traditional education? 
Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading.

Children in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups (3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and so on), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. Montessori represents an entirely different approach to education. 

3.    Is a smaller class room good for children with learning disabilities? What about gifted children? 
Our curriculum is designed to help all children reach their fullest potential at their own unique pace. A classroom whose children have varying abilities is a community in which everyone learns from one another and everyone contributes. Moreover, multiage grouping allows each child to find his or her own pace without feeling "ahead" or "behind" in relation to peers. 

4.    Are Montessori children successful later in life?
Research studies show that Montessori children are well prepared for later life academically, socially, and emotionally. In addition to scoring well on standardized tests, Montessori children are ranked above average on such criteria as following directions, turning in work on time, listening attentively, using basic skills, showing responsibility, asking provocative questions, showing enthusiasm for learning, and adapting to new situations.

5.    What programs does Strawberry School offer? And what are the differences?

Strawberry School offers Preschool (PRE, PRE-K) and Kindergarten(K).

Preschool (PRE, PRE-K) | This program is for young children who turn 2.5 years old and are potty trained. Preschool at Strawberry School provides a well-rounded curriculum that supports all areas of development (Cognitive, Social and Emotional, Speech and Language, Fine Motor, Gross Motor).

Kindergarten (K) | For children who turned 5 years old. Kindergarten provides them the option to gain social and academic experience.

The K program at Strawberry School uses age-appropriate curriculum aligned to the California Common Core State Standards, and American Montessori Society Standards. 

6.    What's the minimum age to attend Strawberry School? 

We welcome children who are 2.5 years old (if potty trained or able to assist) to join our Preschool (PRE-K) program.

7.    What makes Strawberry School stand out? 

Strawberry School provides a high quality educational program through its staff, curriculum, meal plan and most importantly, the firm belief in our children’s development. For a better tomorrow.

At Strawberry:

·      Our teaching team is highly qualified. The lead teacher holds a bachelor degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, is Montessori certified and has over a decade's teaching experience across 2 continents. We select staff that share the same passion in Early Childhood Education.

·      Our curriculum is dynamic. Children are exposed to creative learning in different areas of development. Physical and intellectual development are equally emphasized throughout our program.

·      Teacher-Student ratio is well balanced. We believe providing the attention children deserve is crucial to their early development. Strawberry School maintains the 1:6 teacher/student ratio (1 teacher for every 6 children).

8.     What materials are used? 
It is the philosophy and the knowledge of the teacher that is essential in the success of a Montessori class.

One must be wary of the use of the words "Montessori materials" as many people today use the words as a selling point for materials that have no use in the Montessori classroom and can be distracting and impede a child's progress.

The "sensorial," math, and some of the language and cultural materials (metal insets, sandpaper letters, puzzle maps, bells, for example) are professionally manufactured according to traditional standards that have been tested over many years. However even some of these are made by newer companies that do not fully understand the reason for certain details and so produce materials that are not as successful. There is a "materials committee" in Holland that oversees the quality of materials use in AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) school, for example.

Montessori, for very good reasons, make many of their own practical life and language material instead of buying them—as they learn to do in their training, depending on where in the world they live. They gather practical life materials piece by piece. This is an important process that gives a unique quality to each classroom that expresses the culture, and ideas of beauty in each community—instead of all classrooms looking alike with no personal touches.

Materials in the classroom, without being used correctly by a trained teacher, are usually worthless in creating a real Montessori class, but they can help in some ways in non-Montessori situations. For example the math materials have been used to teach a concept sensorially thus helping a child to make the abstraction. Educational materials in the Montessori method serve a very different purpose than in traditional education where the text books are ordered and the teacher learns how to use them. This difference is because in Montessori the child learns from the environment, and it is the teacher's job to put the child in touch with the environment, not to "teach" the child. Thus the creation of the environment, and selection of materials is done mostly by the teacher and is very important.

In Montessori education having too many materials is often worse than not having enough. In this country (USA) there are many materials suppliers, unfortunately, who are not Montessori trained and do not understand the purpose of materials, and who sell items that scatter the child's energy, or waste time, clutter the environment, etc. It is very important to choose carefully when selecting materials for using the Montessori method of education in school or in the home.