Frequently Asked Questions

Q.What is the difference between Montessori and traditional education?

A. Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups (3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and so on), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. Montessori represents an entirely different approach to education.

Q. Are Montessori children successful later in life? Will they be able to transfer to a public school with ease at 9 years of age?

A. Research studies show that Montessori children are well prepared for later life academically, socially, and emotionally. In addition to scoring well on standardized tests, Montessori children are ranked above average on such criteria as following directions, turning in work on time, listening attentively, using basic skills, showing responsibility, asking provocative questions, showing enthusiasm for learning, and adapting to new situations. Many influential people tout their Montessori education as having been key to their success in life including Katherine Graham of the Washington Post, Jeffrey Bezons founder of Amazon, and Larry Page and Sergey Brin co-founders of Google. Examples in history include Pres .Woodrow Wilson, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Mahatma Ghandi.

Q. I have heard that Montessori schools are unstructured. What does this mean?

A. Montessori education fosters a love of learning, as children are guided in their educational pursuits based on their own level, and within their interests. They are shown how to access information on their own, how to observe their world, and are never put down when doing something incorrectly. There is a freedom within limits that exists in a Montessori classroom, which is usually one of the first things children notice when leaving the Montessori schools. The very structure and preparation of the classroom environment itself provides the possibilities and limitations for the children to learn. This allows the children to move about freely making their own choices among the various educational materials with the boundaries for those choices and behaviors already set in place.

Q. What is Montessori? Has it been researched or is it experimental?

A. Montessori is a comprehensive educational approach from birth to early adulthood based on the observation of children's needs in a variety of cultures all around the world. Beginning her work almost a century ago, Dr. Maria Montessori developed this educational approach based on her understanding of children's natural learning tendencies as they unfold in "prepared environments" for multi-age groups (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and 12-14). Today, Montessori schools are found worldwide, serving children from birth through adolescence. In the United States, there are more than 4,000 private Montessori schools and more than 200 public schools with Montessori-styled programs. The Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), founded by Maria Montessori in 1929, maintains Montessori educational principles and disseminates Montessori education throughout the world. The teacher or Guide in the Montessori classroom is thoroughly trained in the method which has been based on many years of research into how children learn.

Q. What is the difference between Montessori and the Waldorf method?

A. While both programs are well researched and have long histories they differ in some fundamental ways.

Teaching Style: Montessori believes in following the child. So the child chooses what he wants to learn and the teacher guides the learning. Waldorf uses a teacher-directed approach in the classroom.

Learning Activities: Montessoriand Waldorf recognize and respect a child's need for rhythm and order in his daily routine. They choose to recognize that need in different ways. Take toys, for example. Maria Montessori felt that children shouldn't just play but should play with toys which will teach them concepts. Montessori schools use Montessori designed and approved toys. A Waldorf education encourages the child to create his own toys from materials which happen to be at hand. Using the imagination is the child's most important 'work' posits the Steiner Method.

Academic Instruction: Montessori observed that children were developmentally ready and interested at any early age to learn academic concepts such as letter sounds and numeration. She designed appropriate materials to teach these concepts in a hands on, manipulative way to make these concepts obtainable to young children. Waldorf programs feel that academics should wait until the child is of the traditional school age around six.

Q. I've noticed Little Oak mentions fundraising on their website. What does this entail and what is the money used for?

A. Our goal is to provide a quality Montessori education to Gorge residents at an affordable price. Our tuition costs do not cover the operating costs of the school, and therefore we rely on income from fundraising throughout the year to make up the difference between tuition income and expenses.

Our fundraising activities include a bulb sale, card sale, dinner and silent auction, and ongoing fundraising through participation in Box Tops for Education, Labels for Education, and the Escrip program. Every dollar helps us keep our school running and growing. We ask parents to contribute their time and energy to these fundraising activities in order to keep Little Oak affordable.

Q. I think Little Oak would be a great fit for my child. What do I do next?

A. The first step is to call us at (509) 281-1721 or email admin@littleoakmontessori.com. From there, we will schedule an observation and an interview to acquaint your family with our school. Contact us as soon as possible to be placed on the waitlist for the next enrollment period, as demand is steep in the mid-year months for the upcoming school year.