Blurring the lines between home and classroom environments
Wind Rose Montessori follows the principles of the American Montessori Society, with an indoor classroom designed to support independence, concentration, and a child's natural love of learning. Our classroom is carefully prepared so children can move through the space with purpose, choose meaningful work, and build skills at their own pace. Teachers serve as guides, offering lessons, observing closely, and stepping in with support when needed. The goal is not to rush learning, but to create an environment where children feel capable, respected, and ready to explore.
You may only sign up for one work cycle session. Interested in our outdoor program too?
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Montessori is our foundation. We know other approaches to early learning have great ideas too.
From Montessori, we honor the work cycle, the prepared environment, sensitive periods, observation, independence, and the child's natural desire to learn. From Reggio, we bring in project work, documentation, creativity, and the belief that children have many ways to express their ideas. From Waldorf, we borrow the rhythm of the seasons, which shapes much of our outdoor curriculum.
We also spend meaningful time outdoors, giving children the chance to build confidence, wonder, resilience, and a deeper connection with the natural world.
Teachers as Guides
“To aid life, leaving it free, however, to unfold itself, that is the basic task of the educator.”
Maria MontessoriChildren already hold a high facility for learning, something Montessori referred to as "the absorbent mind". We as teachers simply act as guides that show each child how to use materials or interact with their peers, but then stepping back to allow the children the space to explore and discover independently. If you can help a child get to the answer by themselves then they will never forget it -- they will own their learning experience and it will stay with them.
Multi-Age Classrooms
“When one teaches, two learn.”
Robert HeinleinOur classroom serves children ages 30 months to 6 years old. In a mixed-age environment, younger children learn by watching older classmates, while older children grow in confidence by helping, modeling, and leading.
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This structure also allows children to move through the curriculum at their own pace. A child is not limited by their age or expected to move ahead before they are ready. Instead, they are able to build skills through observation, repetition, peer learning, and meaningful work.
Learning Through Movement
“Since it is through movement that the will realizes itself, we should assist a child in his attempts to put his will into act.”
Maria MontessoriChildren learn deeply through movement and hands-on experience. In the Montessori classroom, movement is not a break from learning. It is part of the learning.
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Children carry materials, roll rugs, pour water, spoon, fold, open and close containers, wash windows, and practice dressing frames. These activities support coordination, concentration, independence, and care for the environment. They also help children build the small, everyday skills that make them feel capable in their own bodies.
Allowing the Child to be Who They Are
“Character formation cannot be taught. It comes from experience and not from explanation.”
Maria MontessoriDuring the work cycle, children are encouraged to stay with a material for as long as they need. Some children repeat an activity many times. Some move slowly and carefully. Others observe for a long time before trying something themselves. We trust that this process has value.
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We do not rely on gold stars, point systems, or constant praise to motivate children. Instead, we use self-correcting materials, gentle guidance, modeling, and clear expectations. This gives children the opportunity to develop their own judgment, confidence, and sense of responsibility.
We believe children develop a stronger sense of self when they are not always performing for approval. The evidence is often seen in the children themselves: their focus, kindness, maturity, happiness, and growing love of work.
Mindfulness
“Children are not only sensitive to silence, but also to a voice which calls to them, out of that silence.”
Maria MontessoriLearning to focus, pause, and understand emotions is an important part of early childhood. Mindfulness is woven into our classroom through the prepared environment, quiet moments of concentration, social-emotional learning, and group practices during circle time.
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Our hope is to give children simple tools they can return to again and again: noticing their bodies, naming feelings, listening to others, finding calm, and making space for reflection.
Meeting the Needs of the Whole Person
“The child who has felt a strong love for his surroundings and for all living creatures, who has discovered joy and enthusiasm in work, gives us reason to hope that humanity can develop in a new direction.”
Maria MontessoriMontessori education values the whole child: physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual development.
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In our classroom, children are trusted with real work and real tools. They sew buttons, care for plants, clean up after themselves, and contribute to the daily life of the classroom. These tasks are not pretend. They are meaningful parts of the community.
When children are invited to participate in real work, they begin to see themselves as capable and important. They learn that their actions matter and that they have something valuable to contribute.
Observation
“When dealing with children there is greater need for observing than of probing”
Maria MontessoriObservation is one of the ways we blend Montessori and Reggio Emilia. In Montessori, observation helps the teacher understand what a child is ready for, what they are practicing, and what they may need next. Rather than interrupting or rushing the child, teachers watch carefully and look for patterns.
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Sometimes the child shows us what they need through their choices. Sometimes they tell us directly. Our role is to listen closely, observe with care, and respond thoughtfully.
Documentation
“[Documentation is] an integral part of the procedures aimed at fostering learning and for modifying the learning-teaching relationship.”
Carlina RinaldiDocumentation helps us make children’s learning visible.
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Through photos, videos, notes, and reflections, teachers capture not just what a child did, but what they were practicing, wondering, noticing, and working through.
We use the Brightwheel learning app to share these observations with families, offering a window into each child’s process, relationships, concentration, and growth over time.
Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori was an Italian physician, scientist, and educator who developed a method of education based on careful observation of children.
She believed children thrive when they are given freedom within clear limits, access to purposeful materials, and an environment that supports independence. In a Montessori classroom, children are not simply told what to know. They are invited to discover, repeat, practice, and come to understanding through their own experience.
Montessori called this deep, focused, joyful engagement “normalization.” It describes a child who is peaceful, purposeful, independent, and connected to their work.
Reggio Emilia and Waldorf
From Reggio Emilia we take project work and documentation. Children’s questions and interests can grow into artwork, building, storytelling, or nature investigations.
From Waldorf we take rhythm. The turning of the seasons gives shape to our outdoor curriculum and to the celebrations we share through the year.
How it fits together
Montessori is our foundation: structure, purposeful materials, independence, and a clear sense of developmental readiness.
Reggio and Waldorf come in when they serve the child, so the classroom stays grounded but responsive. Some learning happens through carefully sequenced Montessori materials. Some grows from a child’s question, a shared project, or the season outside.