For more information about Montessori, visitwww.Montessori.org, read The Montessori Way orHow to Raise an Amazing Child, talk to the schooladmissions director or head of school, or read theother brochures in this series.

The Montessori Foundation19600 East State Roads 64 • Bradenton, FL 34212

941-729-9565 • 800-655-5843 www.montessori.org

TheMontessoriFoundation© 2009

Montessori Nurtures Curiosity, Creativity & Imagination

As a parent I setvery high expecta-tions for my chil-dren. I expectedthem to be well pre-pared academicallyso that they wouldbe able to followtheir dreams wher-ever that may take

them, but I also hoped that they would be able tomake responsible choices. I hoped that they wouldbe able to retain the love of learning and creativ-ity that Montessori nurtured in them. Although Icared about academics, I felt certain that my chil-dren would achieve similar results from any goodschool, Montessori or otherwise. For me, the truevalue of a Montessori education went beyond aca-demics.”

— Joyce St GiermaineExecutive Director of the Montessori Foundation

and Editor of Tomorrow’s Child

Curiosity and creativity are important aspects of aMontessori child’s experience. Montessori class-rooms incorporate art, music, dance, creativedrama, and writing throughout the curriculum.

Imagination plays a centralrole, as children explore howthe natural world works, vi-sualize other cultures andancient civilizations, andsearch for creative solutionsto real-life problems. InMontessori schools, the Arts are normally integrated intothe rest of the curriculum.

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Dr. Maria Montessori be-lieved that teachers shouldfocus on the child as a per-son, not on the daily les-son plan. Montessoriteachers lead childrento ask questions, thinkfor themselves, ex-plore, investigate,and discover. Their

ultimate objective is tohelp their students to learn independ-

ently and retain the curiosity, creativity, and intelli-gence with which they wereborn. Montessori teachers don’tsimply present lessons; they arefacilitators, mentors, coaches,and guides.

Her creative energies are so

fragile as to need a loving and

understanding response.”

— Dr. Maria Montessori

Imagination does not become great until a person,given courage and strength,uses it to create. If this does

not occur, the imagination ad-dresses itself only to a spiritwandering in emptiness.” — Dr. Maria Montessori

Five-year-old Imani has a plan. She finds her friend Chelsea, and the two girlsbegin talking about a puppy named Sam. They begin to laugh as their story be-comes increasingly elaborate. Their teacher, Ann, acknowledges their creativityand suggests they write and illustrate a story. This creative activity could lead towriting and acting out a play or researching different breeds of dogs.

Within a safe and empowering community, Montessori children learn at the deepest possi-ble level to believe in themselves. In an atmosphere of independence within communityand personal empowerment, they never loose their sense of curiosity and innate ability tolearn and discover. Confident in themselves, they open up to the world around them andfind that mistakes are not something to be feared; instead, they represent endless opportunities to learn from experience.

Montessori classes are warm, relaxed, and incredibly safe and secure. These arecommunities in which children have learned how to live and work in partnershipwith their adult mentors. There are Infant/Toddler classes; Children’s Houses; El-ementary classrooms; and Middle and High School level programs. They are runto a very large degree by the children, with only that degree of adult guidance necessary toensure order and safety. In such emotionally safe and secure settings, children can relax, be authenticindividuals instead of trying to be ‘cool’, and allow their intelligence, curiosity, creativity, and imagination to blossom. Montessori teachers operate from the understanding that intelligence, creativity, and imagination can be found in everychild. A lot of Montessori education is simply about learning how to learn: observing life, listening, looking for patterns,

making connections, and reflecting on how things fit to-gether and how they work. Children explore topics that cap-ture their interest and imagination and share them withtheir classmates.

The secret of good teaching is to regardthe child’s intelligence as a fertile field inwhich seeds may be sown to grow underthe heat of flaming imagination. Our aimis not only to make the child understand,and still less to force him to memorize,but so to touch his imagination as to en-

thuse him to his innermost core.”

— Dr. Maria Montessori

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