Why Montessori?
We know parents have choices when it comes to their children’s education. We know these choices are not easy. Why do so many families choose Spring Bilingual Montessori Academy?
Montessori education has been successfully serving children and families around the world for over a century. The basics remain - and for good reason. Our methods are consistently backed by current research in education and human development. As we move forward into a new future, we believe Montessori has what it takes to prepare children.
We Nurture Each Child as an Individual
Traditional education was designed to prepare large groups of children for the workforce, often with a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. While some schools are beginning to move toward more personalized learning, many still rely on uniform methods that don’t account for the unique needs of each child.
Montessori is different.
At SBMA, our classrooms are thoughtfully prepared to support each child’s natural pace of learning. We understand that development isn’t linear, and children aren’t all ready to learn the same things at the same time. Instead of asking every child to follow the same timeline, we meet them where they are.
Children who need more time with a skill are gently supported. Those ready to explore new challenges are given the freedom to move forward. In our environment, no one is held back—and no one is rushed.
This individualized approach may look different from traditional classrooms, but it’s grounded in what’s best for children. At SBMA, we honor each child’s unique path, helping them grow with confidence, curiosity, and joy.
Our School Cultivates Community
Spring Bilingual Montessori Academy is more than just a school. First and foremost we are there for our students, and we believe schools have the capacity to be so much more. We aim to make meaningful connections between everyone involved. Some of the ways we do this include:
- Providing opportunities for parents to form relationships with one another
- Supporting families via parent education and ongoing communication
- Gathering as a whole school periodically
- Giving our Teachers opportunities to connect with one another and pursue ongoing professional development
- Making sure parents and Teachers have ample time to discuss the child’s growth and needs
- Forming bonds between children in different classrooms
- Reaching out to make connections with the local community
- Giving our educators and families a voice in school decision making
We also believe that it is our job to take the guesswork out of making these types of connections. We aim to build in structures that make it simple for everyone to find commonalities and open streams of communication seamlessly.
Montessori Emphasizes More Than Just Academics...
Lots of people use the phrase ‘teaching to the whole child’ but in Montessori schools, we mean that on a very deep level. We do not teach just to convey academic information. At SBMA, academics share equal emphasis with our efforts to develop other aspects in our children, including emotional, social, sensorial, and practical life development. We integrate the arts and movement into everything our children do, rather than isolating these areas of study into a separate class. We intentionally teach children how to navigate and resolve conflict and how to adhere to grace and courtesy social norms.
Our greatest task is, we believe, to give children a global view of the world. We want them to understand the interconnectedness of all things so that they may be fully integrated members of their greater community as they grow and mature.
...But the Academics Are a Huge Strength
The above mentioned being said, Montessori academics are often hailed as some of the highest standards there are. It is not uncommon to see two-year-olds at our school classifying objects, four-year-olds reading or six-year-olds completing long division problems. These tasks are completed joyfully, in part because we present information in such a way that children discover it for themselves rather than passively taking in facts given by an adult.
Another reason Montessori students seem to work at an advanced academic level is because of what we call sensitive periods. Through years of observation, Dr. Maria Montessori noticed that young children seemed primed and particularly interested and ready to develop certain skills during very specific time periods. While, of course, there is variation between individual children, she noticed some general patterns that have helped us develop our curriculum. One interesting example is that of the study of geometry. Many of us were first exposed to the subject during our high school years, when it turns out that primary-aged children are not only interested in geometry, but have a great capacity to learn far more than we typically give them credit for. This is why you may hear your three-year-old practicing their letter sounds or your five-year-old talking about rectangular prisms.
Montessori Aims to Lift Up Humanity
We know. This is quite the lofty goal. From the very beginning, Dr. Montessori saw it as her mission to improve the world through education. She believed that by giving children the honor and respect they deserved, the benefits would trickle through to families, the community, and society in general. She believed in the equality of all people and saw that education has the potential to be a great leveler.
Montessori schools aim for peace. This starts between individuals and involves teaching our youngest students how to be kind and gracious toward one another. Another important aspect of our work is having great respect for the environment and other living beings, as well as a reverence for the wide diversity of cultures around the globe. Combined, these elements are meant to cultivate children’s respect for themselves and others, as well as a desire to ensure connection and fairness for all.
Inspired by her work with Maria Montessori, our founder, Ms. Anna Neri, expanded the Montessori mission to include a strong global perspective. She developed SBMA’s program to deepen cultural understanding through World Language instruction—helping children learn not just vocabulary, but also the places, people, and cultures behind each language. This foundation fosters respect, empathy, and a sense of connection with others around the world.