Independence
Children build confidence by making choices, caring for themselves, and completing meaningful work.
Montessori Parent Guide
What Is Montessori?A Parent's Guide
Montessori education helps children grow with independence, curiosity, confidence, and joy. This guide explains how Montessori works and why families choose it during the early years.
The Montessori Philosophy
A child-centered approach to lifelong learning.
Montessori education was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori more than 100 years ago. Through careful observation, she discovered that young children learn best when they are respected as capable individuals and given meaningful work in a carefully prepared environment.
Rather than asking every child to learn the same lesson at the same time, Montessori recognizes that children develop at their own pace. A Montessori classroom gives children freedom within structure, allowing them to choose purposeful activities, build concentration, and develop confidence through hands-on experience.
At Together We Grow Montessori School in Vancouver, our full-day Casa program is designed for children ages 2.5 to 5. We believe children are naturally curious, capable, and eager to learn when they feel safe, respected, and inspired.
Why Montessori Works
Children learn by doing.
Montessori education supports the whole child: intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and practical development.
Concentration
Longer work periods help children develop focus, patience, problem-solving, and self-discipline.
Hands-On Learning
Beautiful Montessori materials allow children to explore concepts through touch, movement, and discovery.
Montessori vs Traditional Preschool
The Montessori Difference
Montessori Education
- Child-centered learning
- Individual learning pace
- Hands-on Montessori materials
- Freedom within structure
- Mixed-age learning community
- Focus on independence and concentration
Traditional Preschool
- Teacher-directed instruction
- Whole-group pacing
- Worksheets or teacher-led activities
- Frequent transitions
- Same-age classroom grouping
- Focus on following directions
The Casa Classroom
The five core areas of Montessori learning.
In a Montessori Casa classroom, children explore carefully designed materials that support independence, language, mathematics, culture, and practical life skills.
Practical Life
Pouring, dressing, cleaning, food preparation, and care of the environment build coordination and confidence.
Sensorial
Children refine their senses by exploring size, colour, shape, texture, sound, and dimension.
Language
Rich vocabulary, phonics, stories, conversation, and early writing support natural literacy development.
Mathematics
Concrete materials help children understand numbers, quantity, patterns, and early operations.
Cultural Studies
Children explore geography, science, nature, history, art, music, and the wider world.
Grace & Courtesy
Children practice kindness, patience, respect, communication, and care for others.
Parent Questions
Frequently asked questions about Montessori.
What age can my child start Montessori?
Many children begin Montessori around age 2.5 or 3. Together We Grow Montessori School offers a full-day Casa program for children ages 2.5 to 5.
Is Montessori good for shy children?
Yes. Montessori environments are calm, respectful, and supportive. Children are allowed to observe, choose work, build trust, and grow at their own pace.
Do Montessori children learn reading and math?
Yes. Montessori classrooms introduce language and mathematics through hands-on materials before moving toward abstract understanding.
Is Montessori suitable before Kindergarten?
Yes. Montessori helps children build independence, confidence, social skills, concentration, communication, and readiness for future learning.
Can families book a school tour?
Yes. Families are welcome to submit an inquiry through our website, and our admissions team will contact them within 1–2 business days.
Ready to discover Montessori?
The best way to understand Montessori is to experience it in person. We welcome families to learn more about Together We Grow Montessori School and discover how our environment supports confident, curious, independent learners.
Book a School Tour