Immersion & Montessori
The Montessori approach was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, Italian scientist and educator, in the early 1900s and has been implemented in schools worldwide. The Montessori approach is founded on a deep respect for children and their ability to blossom into knowledgeable, curious, competent members of society through individualized support and guidance from well-trained teachers in a prepared environment. A Montessori education aligns children’s developmental, emotional, cognitive and social needs to specific experiences and materials designed to promote self-motivated, independent learners. Because the environment is prepared to meet their developmental needs and to capitalize on their tendencies and interest, they discover and subsequently acquire the academic skills and knowledge they need to build a strong foundation in the basics while also developing social skills and personal characteristics that will be invaluable to them as they navigate new experiences.
Language Immersion
Language immersion is such a strong complement to a Montessori education. Young children in the Primary Programs are highly receptive to language development and are able to easily learn in a classroom full of enticing “works” or materials that allow them to develop content knowledge while learning their target language. Students learn their target language much in the same way as they have learned the language of the home, moving gradually from understanding others, to speaking, to reading and writing.
Why International Montessori School?
Learning another language through immersion at such a young age allows your child to develop a fluency typically unmet by other language acquisition approaches. Learning through another language and culture also gives increased relevance to the integrated, holistic approach inherent in Montessori education. Students leave IMS with a freedom from borders of language, culture, or thought and are able to navigate our everyday experiences that have become more dynamic and more diverse. Our students also leave IMS with the skills and desire to bring people from different backgrounds together to solve society’s complex challenges.
What Our Parents Say
“I have watched my children flourish under the leadership, care and devotion of the outstanding teachers at IMS from primary school to Upper Elementary. Each has grown emotionally, academically and in personal will and fortitude as it relates to school work, classroom projects and other endeavors. They love going to school each morning and are thriving in a myriad of ways. The teachers at IMS model exemplary behavior and serve as strong role models. My children have a firm grasp of reading and writing in two languages; my eldest child is thrilled to have begun lessons in the third language. Additionally, they are cultivating a profound interest and understanding of mathematics and science. I have visited all the wonderful schools in the area and I cannot envision a more ideal institution dedicated to academic excellence, personal growth, compassion; not to mention a commitment to developing leaders, critical thinkers and stewards of the world.”