Primary
Care for the whole child.
For Children Aged 3 through 6
Curiosity
The central pillar of Montessori education is captured by the phrase “follow the child”. At Red Bridge we want to make a space for children to follow what drives them from the inside, because the best lesson is a lesson that a child learns on his or her own. The Montessori method is an individualized approach to education and we don’t make the assumption that every child is ready for the same lesson at the same time. We believe that this approach to education will cultivate a lifelong passion for learning, which will serve the children in our care for the rest of their lives.
Responsibility
Giving children a sense of independence would be incomplete if they did not also learn to take responsibility for their choices. It is astounding what children are capable of given the right environment and a strong foundation of lessons that help them learn exactly how to take care of themselves, their environment, and each other. We want the children in our care to follow their internal guide, and to do the work that calls to them, but we want them to do so responsibly, with care and diligence.
Community
A vital part of childhood is learning how to work, play, and live well with others. Our educational approach emphasizes teaching children good manners and conflict resolution in order to set a strong foundation for future teamwork and group interaction. An important part of Montessori education is the mixed-age classroom, where children as young as 3 work side-by-side with children as old as 6. We expand that philosophy through elementary, providing a single environment for children up to 12 years old. This provides the younger students with good role models while also giving older children opportunities to set the example and practice basic leadership skills. In a sense, every child gets a turn at being the oldest and youngest “sibling” in our family, giving them a more balanced perspective on culture and community.
Academic Readiness
Academic readiness is not the goal of the Montessori method, but it is often a wonderful result. We don’t believe that pre-K children should be expected to conform to rigid standards of academic readiness. However, by providing children with an environment that inspires them to practice basic skills in literacy and mathematics in their own time, most graduates of Montessori preschools find themselves well above the average level of readiness. We won’t guarantee that every child will know how to write fluently or solve 4 digit addition and subtraction problems by the age of 6 years old, but we delight in seeing what every child is capable of when provided with an environment and opportunities that help them live up to their best potential.