About Us
Growing Minds Montessori Preschool was started by Jamie Charles, a Montessori Certified Toddler Teacher. She fell in love with the Montessori method, when her son attended a Montessori preschool in NJ, 15 years ago. After initially working in the Early Childhood classroom, she realized how few Toddler teachers there were and went back to school to obtain her Infant/Toddler Certification. After moving to Rockland County in 2020 she realized there was little access, for most families, to a Montessori education. She decided to do something about that and here we are.
Here at Growing Minds Montessori we believe that children thrive when they feel safe, respected and free to follow their natural desire to learn. Our Montessori Early Childhood program encourages independence, creativity, and deep focus through hands-on materials and a beautifully prepared environment. We hope families in Rockland County will choose Growing Minds Montessori for a preschool experience that feels less like a classroom and more like a second home - one filled with warmth, wonder and meaningful growth.
“..the teacher must bring not only the capacity, but the desire, to observe natural phenomena. In our system, she must become a passive, much more than an active influence, and her passivity shall be composed of anxious scientific curiosity, and of absolute respect for the phenomena she wishes to observe. The teacher must feel her position of observer; the activity must lie in the phenomenon.” - Maria Montessori
About Montessori
The Montessori Method is an educational pedagogy developed by Maria Montessori in Italy in 1907. She was a physician who developed a unique approach to education based on her scientific observations of children’s learning processes. She found that given the right environment, where children can choose from a variety of developmentally appropriate materials, children teach themselves. The Montessori Method emphasizes learning through all five senses. Children are able to learn at their own individual pace and through their own choice of activities. The unique classroom design, materials and daily routine enable children to learn to self-correct, discover the world around them and instill a love of learning. Having multi-age classes is a hallmark of Montessori education. Younger children are inspired by older, more experienced children, while the older children master the curriculum by providing guidance to the younger students.
Key features of a Montessori classroom include:
The prepared environment - classrooms should be aesthetically pleasing, child-centered, clean, orderly and promote independence.
Uninterrupted work periods - length of periods vary depending on age. Typically a primary classroom has a 3 hour work period.
Observations of the child
Multi-age environments - Younger children learn from older students and observe challenges. Older children become role models and leaders by teaching younger children concepts and skills they have already mastered.