Montessori Academy
7135 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91701
909-941-9200
About Montessori
The Montessori Method is a complete integrated approach to childhood education based on the insight and scientific observations of Dr. Maria Montessori.
Born in Italy in 1870, Dr. Maria Montessori became the first woman in Italy to graduate with a medical degree. Dr. Montessori originally introduced her teaching at a school for special needs children. In 1907 she opened her first Montessori School for about 50 children in a poor neighborhood in Rome.
During years of careful observation while working with children, Montessori noticed young children’s natural ability to effortless absorb knowledge and culture from their environment; she called this the period of the “absorbent mind”. This led her to develop her philosophy that the child absorbs learning through experience.
She respected the children as individuals and gave them freedom within an environment specifically designed to meet their needs. This “prepared environment” allowed children to move about freely and choose from the many activities that would facilitate their development and their absorption of knowledge and culture.
The Montessori classroom allows for this interaction in a community where children of different ages work, play, learn and grow together, each at his or her own pace. In the mixed age grouping, the younger children often observe and learn from the older children while the older children, acting as leaders and mentors, give back to the community and solidify their knowledge by sharing it with the younger ones. This approach allows the child to develop self-confidence, an inner discipline and motivation. The teacher’s role in this environment is that of resource, model and guide.
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About Montessori Academy
Montessori Academy has its roots in the tradition of education originated by the visionary Dr. Maria Montessori whose philosophy is now practiced in schools worldwide. This philosophy, that in a carefully prepared environment rich experiences from all disciplines, filled with books, collections and materials for learning math, the foundations of language, history, geography, drama, art, music, sciences, and literature, a child would seek learning for its own sake and be filled with joy at its acquisition. Dr. Maria Montessori’s teachers became guides in this great adventure, quietly opening doors so that the students may glimpse the universe and come to a consciousness of its workings and of their own place in it.
Montessori Academy began in 1967 with one Children’s House class in which Sandy Schmidt became involved as the parent of a two year old. She was instantly intrigued with the Montessori philosophy and captivated by the development she saw in her children. So much so, in fact, that she became a certified Montessori teacher in 1969. In 1971, Sandy became the owner of the Montessori Academy of Claremont. As the children grew, so did the school.
All of our programs are deeply rooted in Dr. Montessori’s philosophy of learning and of participation in the classroom society with personal responsibility and accountability to the group on a level appropriate to the age of the students.
Today, Montessori Academy is located in Rancho Cucamonga and has over 90 children enrolled and 16 staff, many of whom have worked together for years. Although we have grown tremendously in size, Montessori Academy maintains a comfortable, homelike atmosphere where families have daily contact with their children’s teachers, children experience the joy of working together and lifelong friendships are formed.
Sandy Schmidt is no longer with us due to her unexpected passing in 2012. However, her daughter Julie Schmidt, herself an AMI-trained Montessori teacher with over 20 years of teaching experience, has stepped in and continues to build on the foundation that Sandy established 48 years ago.
