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The philosophy that guides the staff of MacDonald Montessori School is an integration of two educational approaches...Montessori and Reggio Emilia.
Both philosophies foster a loving atmosphere where children can grow to be uniquely themselves...
...an environment which is aesthetically beautiful and relaxing to the eye
...an environment which is dynamic, exciting, non-competitive, co-learning place for children to live and learn
...an environment which holds the image of the child as powerful and competent
...an environment in which the parents are partners with the teachers in creating this place for their children
...an environment in which time is relaxed and geared to the special rhythm of children
...an environment where the staff are warm and loving and who use care, humor, and consistent ground rules to develop the child's deep sense of love and responsibility to him/herself and others
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Our Philosophy
THE REGGIO APPROACH
Since the approach grew out of a parent cooperative movement, there is an explicit recognition of the partnership between parents, educators and children. Listed below are basic principles of the Reggio Emilia approach.
The Image of the Child - Adults see each child as unique, strong, and full of potential. The child's role in the classroom is to construct their knowledge their knowledge and develop skills through exploration, self-expression, and collaboration with their teachers and peers.
Symbolic Representation - As a means of enhancing their creative, social, and cognitive development, a wide array of creative media and activities are introduced. These children represent their ideas and emotions through many "languages," including spoken and written words, visual arts, drama, movement, and more.
Education Based on Interaction and Collaboration - Education is experienced as a continuous, cooperative interaction between those involved in the school community. Collaboration takes place between teachers and children, children and peers, teachers and other teachers, teachers and families, and the school and the community. All are important in the education process.
The Project Approach - The children learn through cooperating with other children and their teachers in long-term projects based on children's interests and the use of creative arts as central features of the program. Themes follow the children's interests, curiosity and understandings.
The Importance of Time - Projects and activities are not fragmented; rather they build upon one another over time, as the children "re-visit" their original work and ideas, refining them further through new experiences, activities and forms of expression. Time is also important in building and sustaining collaborative relationships.
The Role of the Teacher: Teacher as Partner - The teacher is a partner in learning with the child. The teacher's role is to act as resource, provocateur, and partner in learning with the children. Children's work, play and discussions are documented through notes, photos, tape recordings and videos. These are carefully reviewed by the teachers and guide the curriculum and decisions based on the children's interests, ideas, and developmental readiness to acquire new skills.
The Role of the Parents - Parents are active participants in the activities of the school and in their children's projects. Parents are welcomed into the schools and collaborate with teachers in curriculum and administrative decisions. They give of their time and talents and serve as advocates for the schools in the community.
The Role of the Environment - Through conscious use of space, color, natural light, attractive and appropriate learning materials and displays of children's work, the environment serves as another teacher and is inviting to children, teachers, families, and visitors.
Our History with Reggio
Our experiences with the Reggio philosophy have been well documented in an article entitled "Our Montessori Journey with Reggio: Living with Paradox and Dualities," written by our Executive Director, Beth MacDonald. The article is available here for download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format.
Innovations Article
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