Litchfield Montessori School Viewbook

Planting the Seeds for Life-long Learning

Our Mission We are committed to serving the whole child, guided by the principles of Dr. Maria Montessori, dedicated to nurturing the child’s love of learning, preserving the child’s sense of wonder, encouraging independence and imagination, and fostering respect for our world’s social and cultural diversity.

discove r ~ explore ~ im agine ~ initiate ~ create ~ wonde r

What is Montessori?

From birth, children instinctively reach out to explore and learn about the world around them.

They love to touch, to taste; they turn inquisitively toward new sounds, smile at familiar voices; they reach for bright colors, explore interesting shapes. Learning is a process that involves all of the senses, especially touch, and the senses feed the child’s absorbent and eager mind. Dr. Maria Montessori, Italy’s first female physician, founded her method of education on this understanding of how children learn. Dr. Montessori created intriguing materials that invite children to manipulate and explore and that cultivate their individual initiative, curiosity and motivation, the key qualities of a life-long learner. Dr. Montessori also understood that the classroom should be carefully arranged to provide freedom to explore under the guidance of a carefully trained teacher. Learning becomes for all children a joyful path on which they are guided by their innate curiosity and delight in discovery.

“We seek to sow life in the child rather than theories, to help him in his growth, mental and emotional as well as physical, and for that we must offer grand and lofty ideas to the human mind.”

—Maria Montessori

“The senses, being explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge.”

“The work of education is divided between the teacher and the environment.”

“Our schools show that children of different ages help one another. There are many things which no teacher can convey to a child of three, but a child of five can do it with ease.”

A Litchfield Montessori School education plants the seeds of learning in the fertile ground of a child’s natural curiosity and joy in discovery, thus nurturing through the school years the child’s initiative to explore and to question, to discover the world, and to aspire to become creative, imaginative, independent life-long learners. Classes are arranged in three-year age groups, each with its own carefully organized curriculum to accommodate the individual learning styles and developmental traits of each child: Young People’s Community (18 months–2½ years), Children’s House (2½–6 years), Lower Elementary (6–9 years) and Upper Elementary (9–12 years).

Today researchers have confirmed Dr. Montessori’s belief that intellectual skills develop when a child’s learning process awakens as many senses as possible and when the child is happy.

Montessori education engages children emotionally as well as physically with intriguing, hands-on materials and appropriately challenging concepts. Children develop their aesthetic sense and learn what Dr. Montessori called the Practical Life Skills of everyday living as well as the disciplines of language, mathematics, science, art, music, geography and history. As they grow through a Montessori education, children become confident, self disciplined, eager learners.

Multi-age Curriculum 3-year cycles Young People’s Community (18–36 months) Children’s House (2½–6 years) Lower Elementary (6–9 years) Upper Elementary (9–12 years)

As Dr. Montessori observed, each child grows uniquely, often maturing intellectually, socially, and emotionally at different rates. A Montessori education is therefore arranged in three-year cycles encompassing skills and concepts that the child encounters and absorbs at his or her own pace, guided by a carefully trained and experienced Montessori teacher.

Our multi-age classrooms at Litchfield Montessori School that support the three-year cycle also develop a sense of community, encouraging cooperative learning across age-groups and building our children’s sense of security and self-esteem. This social and emotional growth complements their intellectual development.

Children who learn both independently and cooperatively develop a keen sense of their own responsibility for learning as well as a high level of empathy and respect for others in the shared enterprise of learning.

“The teacher, when she begins work at our school, must have a keen faith that the children will reveal themselves through the work.

She must free herself from all preconceived ideas concerning the levels at which the children may be.”

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Young People’s Community Ages 18–36 months

The first three years of life are the most fundamental for human development. Children in the Young People’s Community at LMS grow in a nurturing environment filled with fascinating and beautiful materials specially sized for their smaller hands.

These materials entice their natural desire to explore and promote their curiosity. Our toddlers explore under the watchful eyes of nurturing teachers, who make appropriate changes in the classroom to support each child’s development. Whether pouring from a pitcher, singing a numbers song, preparing food, washing and sorting, experimenting with color mixing, or storytelling, our toddlers’ work is joyful and purposeful.

“The child’s progress does not depend only on her age, but also on being free to look around her.”

“The child’s first instinct is to carry out her actions by herself, without anyone helping her, and her first conscious bid for independence is made when she defends herself against those who try to do the action for her.”

exploring

discovering “It is almost possible to say that there is a mathematical relationship between the beauty of his surroundings and the activity of the child; he will make discoveries rather more voluntarily in a gracious setting than in an ugly one.”

Children’s House Ages 2½–6 years

Within our large, sunlit Children’s House classrooms, children discover the wonders and processes of the surrounding world. The carefully arranged classrooms and inviting materials stimulate both their five senses and their intellects, inspiring each child’s curiosity and encouraging his or her development. Our Montessori certified teachers guide each child’s independent choices with materials that both challenge and engage the child’s aesthetic and creative imagination and plant the seeds that grow into the skills of reading, writing, and mathematics.

Children are invited to stay for the full day by the third year of the cycle and enjoy activities that deepen their connection to their community. This Extended Day program allows children to work individually and in groups on deeper investigations in language, mathematics, science, geography, and history. During the Extended Day year, children have greater opportunities to practice tasks that require stamina, concentration, and cognitive as well as physical skills. Our children grow socially as they develop grace and courtesy through practicing lunch formalities and caring for their environment.

Lower and Upper Elementary lower elementary, ages 6-9 Upper elementary, ages 9-12 In the elementary grades, children begin to grow beyond individualistic concerns toward an appreciation of their roles in the classroom community, eventually developing an understanding of and respect for the diversity of ideas, peoples and cultures of the world as a whole. The curriculum at Litchfield Montessori School in these two, three-year elementary cycles enhances this natural growth by demonstrating that the major disciplines of language, science, mathematics, and social studies together help humans understand, explain and order their world. Our students work both independently and cooperatively in questioning, researching, discovering, and explaining increasingly challenging concepts of the physical world. The experienced teachers at LMS guide them in their study as well as encourage and facilitate the discussion of the important ethical concepts of justice and fairness, tolerance and appreciation, empathy and understanding.

aspiring

Cultural Curriculum at Litchfield Montessori

An integral part of Montessori education is the cultural curriculum presented with an interdisciplinary approach. Specialists in the arts, physical education, foreign language, and peace studies provide our students opportunities to observe, explore, experiment and discover in fields of study that are integrated with their work in the classroom. Field trips to museums, nature centers, and theaters, as well as presentations by visiting guest artists, storytellers and puppeteers occur throughout the year for all ages. Our Elementary students travel outside the school to conduct individual research assignments and projects. Students at this upper level also take overnight trips to participate in such programs as Montessori Model UN and Mountain Workshop. Recent classes have also taken trips to Montreal, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

“It is the spirit of the child that can determine the course of human progress and lead it perhaps even to a higher form of civilization.”

Peace Education

“When the child goes out, it is the world itself that offers itself to her.

Let us take the child out to show her real things instead of making objects which represent ideas and closing them up in a cupboard.”

Maria Montessori believed that developing interpersonal skills with even the youngest children would promote understanding and peace between peoples around the world. We introduce these skills at the earliest levels at Litchfield Montessori School. Social skills in personal relationships are supported with firm and kind guidance by our teachers. As children develop and become more aware of their peer group and their place in a community, they are introduced to practical tools that assist them with resolving differences, coming to consensus, and reducing unhealthy risk taking. Children learn how to recognize disruptive and destructive behaviors and are taught options for responding and communicating responsibly and safely. Always showing respect for others and understanding and practicing the skills of personal relationships enable our students to become responsible citizens who will contribute to the well being of our local and global communities.

The Creative and Performing Arts

“The idea is to sow the seeds of knowledge at this age, when a sort of sensitive period for the imagination exists.�

The visual, musical, and performing arts become an integral part of most learning projects in every classroom. Our specialists also teach introductory skills and concepts in dedicated arts classes.

Several times a year all children participate in holiday or cultural performances, culminating in the spring production of a classic play in which each of our Elementary children has a role on stage and in behind-the-scenes production.

Physical Education

Physical education begins with basic movement at the youngest levels and progresses to the concepts of more formal games and sports. Our children develop physical confidence as well as their sense of fair play, teamwork, sportsmanship, and the foundations of life-long fitness.

Foreign Language

Our foreign language instruction in Spanish begins at the youngest level, the Young People’s Community, and continues through the Upper Elementary. Introducing Latin also enhances the language studies of our Upper Elementary students. These languages are an enjoyable experience for our students in a curriculum filled with a variety of activities and meaningful work, including songs, poetry, skits, projects, games, and holiday celebrations. All foreign language learning emphasizes respect for other people and integrates culture, history, and traditions, as well as the spoken and written language.

“Only through freedom and environmental experience is it practically possible for human development to occur.”

“The essential thing is to arouse such an interest that it engages the child’s whole personality.”

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Our Faculty The heart of Litchfield Montessori School is our nurturing, well-trained, and experienced faculty. A certified Montessori Teacher and Assistant Teacher lead each classroom, providing continuity throughout the three-year cycle. Our teachers know and honor each child’s individual potential and work to create an environment that inspires children to develop inner discipline, self assurance, and a love of learning.

This talented faculty of LMS, averaging 16 years of teaching experience, and well known in the profession, frequently serve as trainers and models at educational seminars and for students from local colleges and universities. Their first love, however, is our children at LMS, whom they creatively and sensitively nurture and support.

“Whoever touches the life of the child touches the most sensitive point of a whole which has roots in the most distant past and climbs toward the infinite future.”

“Any child who is self-sufficient, who can tie his shoes, dress or undress himself, reflects in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity, which is derived from a sense of independence.”

“To assist a child we must provide her with an environment which will enable her to develop freely.�

History of Litchfield Montessori School

The seeds of today’s Litchfield Montessori School were planted by Mary Loyer, who moved to the Litchfield area with her family in the early 1970’s and looked for a school where her children could continue their Montessori education. She organized a group of supporting parents and started our school in 1972. From those small beginnings, LMS has blossomed to welcome families from throughout the Litchfield Hills and Naugatuck Valley.

In 1987 we purchased the light, airy, and open Marcel Breuer-designed building in Northfield, adjacent to play areas, fields and woods that provide a natural learning environment accessible from each classroom.

After Mary Loyer, each succeeding Head of School has continued to develop the original vision of our founder and of Maria Montessori and has successfully gathered and maintained a talented, dedicated faculty who present a classic Montessori education and model lifelong learning. Our Faculty also offer education programs for parents to help them understand the Montessori philosophy and how young children learn and grow.

Litchfield Montessori School has grown into a vital and thriving home for the education of children and families. While the school has grown in size, it remains small enough to be a welcoming community that focuses on each child. Our community boasts a strong and loyal parent group who welcome and encourage the interests of new families.

More than four decades later, as a result of Mary Loyer’s vision, Litchfield Montessori School alumni care deeply about other people and the world. They work to discover extraordinary and individual ways to contribute to the local and global society. The Litchfield community is a better place because of its Litchfield Montessori School family, who value diversity, peacefulness, independent thinking, creative initiative, and life-long learning.

“The secret of good teaching is to regard the child’s intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination.”

Copywriting: Linda Saarnijoki; Photography: Christene Freedman, Peter Frew, Beth Mieczowski, Chip Reigel; Design: Good Design, LLC; Printing: The Prospect Printing Company

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After Litchfield Montessori School…

Given the school’s careful dedication to the development of its students’ natural intellectual curiosity, creativity, and discipline, graduates of Litchfield Montessori School are welcomed at and are strong contributors to their next schools. Our graduates go on to both public schools in the area and the finest independent schools such as Taft, Loomis Chaffee, Hotchkiss, The Gunnery, Choate-Rosemary Hall, Kent, Westover, and Chase Collegiate.

Their teachers at these schools often remark on our students’ creative problem–solving, insightful questioning, eager initiative, and strong ability to work with others collaboratively. After high school, LMS students enroll at the country’s finest colleges and enter a variety of fields. Our graduates can be found working in law, medicine, education, sustainable farming, business, counseling, and the arts. Montessori education opens the child to the delights of exploring the world, to seeing and taking advantage of opportunities, and to the value of making a difference. They are life-long learners and contributors to their communities.

Some of the most creative people of this and past generations have been Montessori educated, including people on the forefront of technology such as Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-founders of Google; Jeffrey Bezos, founder of Amazon.com; and Will Wright, designer of Sim City; professionals in the arts such as Colombian Nobel Prize winner and writer Gabriel Garcia-Marquez; Katharine Graham, owner and editor of The Washington Post; and virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell. Jean Piaget, noted Swiss psychologist and theorist on cognitive development in children, whose ideas influence much of educational philosophy today, was the head of the Swiss Montessori Society; noted pediatrician and author of books on raising children, T. Berry Brazelton, was Montessori educated and has sent his children to Montessori schools.

Visit We hope you have enjoyed this brief introduction to our community and to the program of Litchfield Montessori School.

Please come to visit us at school to gain a more complete understanding of what we do. We welcome you to experience for yourself our joy in learning.

Litchfield Montessori School is a full affiliate of The American Montessori Society and a founding member of the Montessori Schools of Connecticut; the school is accredited by and is a member of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools and a member of the National Association of Independent Schools.

Litchfield Montessori School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, gender or sexual orientation. Our children come from many religions and cultures. Diversity is important to our classes.

“We see no limit to what should be offered to the child, for his will be an immense field of chosen activity.”

LITCHFIELD MONTESSORI SCHOOL 5 Knife Shop Road Northfield, CT 06778 860-283-5920 info@litchfieldmontessori.org litchfieldmontessori.org