Montessori Education

With over 100 years of success throughout the world, the Montessori Method has found its way into our school. Currently, Christ the King Catholic Montessori School has three Children’s Houses (ages 3-6), three Lower Elementary environments (ages 6-9) and two Upper Elementary environments (ages 9-12).There is much to know about the Montessori method and so we want to share a few of the key principles of a Montessori education.

The first is a belief that children naturally want to learn – think of what they have already taught themselves by the time they reach school age! They can walk, speak a language, ride bike, tell jokes, interpret emotion, show compassion, and make us laugh and cry by the time they get to school!

Second is that every child is unique and progresses at their own rate. Much about the preparation of the environment and the way lessons are taught allows a child both to develop at his own pace – fast or slow as the need may be. Lessons are taught individually or in small groups rather than to a whole class at once. This way, the teacher can assess the comprehension and needs of each child.

Connected to the uniqueness of each child is the third point we want to share. That is that the most important thing a teacher can do is to observe the children. A deep knowledge of each student allows the teacher to know when and how to present each lesson.

Finally, a Montessori education integrates knowledge to practical life and the real world. Many of the lessons help a child to know where he belongs in the world – geographically and culturally. The various materials used are connected so that the way math is taught is like the way that language is taught.

The most essential element offered to students, however, is religious formation. In addition to weekly all-school Mass and daily prayer in the classrooms, CTK offers religious formation to students through Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS). CGS is a Montessori-based catechesis, and has proven to not only be effective religious education, but also a favorite part of our students’ day. 

œIf you would like to observe one of our classrooms in action, or have been considering enrolling your child at Christ the King School, please call Kim in the school office at 701-663-6200.