At San LorenzoMontessori Academy children have the freedom to work independently within the guidelines set up by lessons under the guidance of a highly trained teacher. By giving children responsibility for their behavior to the extent they are capable of acceptably responding to it, self-control and an internal set of guidelines are established as part of the child’s personality. The teacher spends the day giving presentations of activities available on the shelves, while children not engaged in a presentation are working independently, getting their own snack or going to the bathroom when the need arises. This freedom fosters responsible behavior under the guidance and verification of watchful adults. Parents are informed of this type of environment before they enroll their children and subsequently parent education meetings help them to learn more about the value of this approach to their children. The prepared environments and the role of the teacher in the classroom distinguish Montessori from other educational approaches. For example, independent activity constitutes about eighty percent of the work, and the teacher-directed activity comprises the remaining twenty percent of the work at all levels. The reverse percentages are generally true for traditional education. The special environments enable children to explore qualities of materials through various tasks which induce thinking about relationships. The prepared environment offers practical occasions for introducing social relationships through free interaction. The logical sequential nature of the prepared environment provides orderly structures that guide discovery. Every aspect of the curriculum involves creative invention and careful, thoughtful analysis. In viewing learning outcomes at each Montessori level, it must be emphasized that why and how students arrive at what they know is just as important as what they know.
