Dr. Maria Montessori
The IMS program is based on the philosophy and work of Dr. Maria Montessori, (1870-1952), the first female physician
in Italy who founded the first Montessori school in Rome in 1907. Dr. Montessori recognized that the most valid
impulse to learning is the self-motivation of the child. Through the observational approach and deep respect for
the potential of each child, she developed a unique method of education, which enhances the child’s natural desire
to learn about his or her environment.
The goal of the Ithaca Montessori program is to cultivate each child’s innate curiosity. The child learns and develops skills through
self-initiated activities in what Dr. Montessori called the “Prepared Environment.”
The prepared environment offers materials which allow the child to develop skills in areas which Dr. Montessori felt were of particular
importance such as: practical life activities, sensorial explorations, language, math, art, music, geography, social interactions, and
other cultural subjects. Most importantly, children at IMS learn how to learn!
The children move freely, learning and growing at their own pace and according to their own needs, within the guidelines of care and concern
for one another and their environment. Parents and teachers find that the Montessori method develops independence, communication skills and a
love of learning that continues to enrich the lives of their children well beyond the time they complete the program.
The experience at Ithaca Montessori School is designed to provide a foundation of learning that lasts a lifetime.