Montessori is grounded in the affirmation that children don’t need to be taught how to learn, that they are born with an intrinsic motivation to be curious and acquire new knowledge about the world around them. That’s why they come up with never-ending questions about the world around them. Traditional school may stifle this innate desire to learn because rather than encouraging children to be inquisitive in new and novel ways, it often requires that every child in a classroom learn the same lessons at the same time,
True to the Montessori philosophy, Clover School teachers promote a child’s freedom to direct their own learning based on what captivates their curiosity and passion. They are there to provide support, security and guidance, to help children build on and deepen the knowledge and understanding they acquire through active, authentic, and participatory learning.
Inspiring intrinsic motivation in children is another goal of the Montessori Method. The aim is to motivate the child from within, working with his or her own interests. Freedom is recognized as the foundation of intrinsic motivation and the child’s choices and learning pace are respected. The Montessori classroom environment and its Montessori trained teacher play an important role in fostering intrinsic motivation by promoting the child’s freedom to choose from their interests and reinforces the responsibility to follow through, as well as the pride experienced when the child has completed what they set out to accomplish.
