Editor’s Note: Today we take a peek inside the world of Montessori education in the Comox Valley with Pauline Rae and learn a bit about why this public-school program is beloved by so many parents, as well as in need of strong community support. Enjoy!

During the year before my oldest child started kindergarten, we looked into the educational options available in the Comox Valley. I had heard about Montessori and knew a little bit about it. I had also become involved in helping the Comox Valley Montessori Society when I could because I felt strongly about families having Montessori education as an option.

We had considered French Immersion and our local school, but after looking into it further, it was clear that Montessori was the best option for our daughter.

Why? Well, our daughter was a quiet, self-motivated, intelligent, and focused individual who liked to work at her own pace. We were worried about her being bored in the mainstream program. The sensory nature of the Montessori materials was particularly appealing.

We felt that the hands-on approach to learning would be of great benefit – you can see and feel what numbers are (using the golden beads for example) and what letters feel like to write (using the sandpaper letters). We also knew that the Montessori method tended to inspire a love of learning, something I have always had and have hoped that my children would also experience.

The Montessori approach felt inclusive and respectful and we liked the parts of the curriculum that were not part of the mainstream, such as grace and courtesy, and practical life.

What is Montessori?

Montessori is an educational philosophy that is applied both at home and at school. It was founded by Maria Montessori, an Italian physician who developed her methods by observing young children. She discovered that children learn best in a nurturing environment, filled with developmentally appropriate materials. She felt that these experiences contribute to the growth of each child to become a self-motivated, independent learner.

Why Montessori families choose and love Montessori.

Many of us have heard and read about the benefits of Montessori education. Some have come from places where their children had been in Montessori programs. All of us felt that Montessori was a philosophy that fit for our children and our families.

What we like about a Montessori classroom.

A Montessori classroom operates on the principle of freedom within limits and is based on core Montessori beliefs – respect for each other and for the classroom environment, with an emphasis on grace and courtesy.

Children work at their own pace with materials they choose, either alone or with others. The teacher uses observations to decide which new activities and materials may be introduced to an individual child or to the group. The aim is to encourage active, self-directed learning and to strike a balance of individual mastery with small group collaboration within the whole group community.

Students use Montessori materials, designed by Maria Montessori, that use all the senses for learning, go in a specific order and allow children to learn and self-correct as they work.

Our Montessori teachers have specialized training for two full years. They do not teach from the front of the room; their role is that of designer of the environment, resource person, role model, demonstrator, record keeper and observer of each child’s behavior and growth.

Classrooms are multi-age groupings with the usual groupings being ages 3-6, 6-9 and 9-12.

Bringing Montessori to the Comox Valley

In 2005 a group of parents formed the Comox Valley Montessori Society (CVMS), a registered non-profit society, to support the development and continuation of Montessori education in the Comox Valley. Rather than creating an independent school, the society approached the local school district.

The SD 71 School Board agreed to a pilot project and in September 2006 the first Montessori class started at Glacier View School. Now in its 4th successful year, this program of choice has been approved to continue to Grade 7 and is part of the Queneesh Elementary community, with three classrooms: a K/1, a K/1/2 and a 2/3/4, and more growth in the future.

The Montessori program in SD71 is a partnership between the School District, teachers and administration and the families involved in the program. The program is staffed with fully qualified Montessori certified teachers who are also fully qualified BC teachers.

SD71 provides the school the classrooms with basic amenities, the teachers, the administration and the support staff. The parents, through the CVMS, provide and look after the Montessori materials. Without the materials, there is no Montessori program. To pay for the materials, the parents, through the CVMS, raise funds through donations and various fundraising opportunities.

Photos courtesy of Karen McKinnon