About Cleveland Montessori
Cleveland Montessori provides excellence in education to the children of Greater Cleveland by discovering and awakening children’s innate talents and abilities, and cultivating a lifetime love of learning and spirit of social responsibility. Cleveland Montessori is deeply committed to authentic Montessori principles and practices for optimizing child education and creative potential.
Enriched by the values of love, respect, justice and joy, and fostered by a diverse and wonderfully nurturing Montessori community, the school serves all children, regardless of race or creed, and is distinctly committed to enhancing the vitality of the Little Italy and University Circle communities.
Montessori School in Cultural Cleveland Setting
Located in the heart of Cleveland’s Little Italy, our school is based on the principles of Italian educator and physician, Dr. Maria Montessori. Our skilled Montessori-credentialed teachers act as guides — using Montessori classroom materials and our “urban classroom” as we engage in the life of the Little Italy neighborhood and the institutions of University Circle. Our students not only plan their own visits to area museums, they also design innovative philanthropic outreach to those in need, from our elderly neighbors to school children in India.
“The peace and joy you have in your room is inspiring!”
– Grandmother of a lower elementary student
“The children really enjoy their classroom, for you can tell by their engagement within the class.”
– Aunt of a primary student
Introduction to Cleveland Montessori
Meet Our Staff
Why Montessori?
| MONTESSORI EDUCATION | TRADITIONAL EDUCATION |
|---|---|
| Prepared environment with hands-on self-correcting materials | Textbooks, pencil and paper, workbooks, etc. |
| Uninterrupted work cycles | Set time periods for each student |
| Multi-age groupings with three-year age span | Single-graded groupings |
| School meets needs of individual students | Students expected to fit school mold |
| Students active participants with freedom to move around | Students passively seated in desks |
| Process-focused progress reports | Product-focused report cards |
| Student centered | Teacher centered |
| Teacher is an observer and guides students | Teach directs learning |
| Child sets pace – individualized | Teacher sets pace – students move forward as a group |
| Emphasis on the concrete | Emphasis on abstract |
| Students seek help from and provide help to each other | Students seek help from teacher |
| Recognition of child development and sensitive periods in guiding each child | Each child directed the same way |
| Most students’ work completed during the school day – Homework is purposeful | Most students’ work completed at home after school hours |
Why Montessori?
| MONTESSORI VS TRADITIONAL EDUCATION |
|---|
| Montessori |
| Prepared environment with hands-on self-correcting materials |
| Uninterrupted work cycles |
| Multi-age groupings with three-year age span |
| School meets needs of individual students |
| Students active participants with freedom to move around |
| Process-focused progress reports |
| Student centered |
| Teacher is an observer and guides students |
| Child sets pace – individualized |
| Emphasis on the concrete |
| Students seek help from and provide help to each other |
| Recognition of child development and sensitive periods in guiding each child |
| Most students’ work completed during the school day – Homework is purposeful |
| Traditional |
| Textbooks, pencil and paper, workbooks, etc. |
| Set time periods for each student |
| Single-graded groupings |
| Students expected to fit school mold |
| Students passively seated in desks |
| Product-focused report cards |
| Teacher centered |
| Teach directs learning |
| Teacher sets pace – students move forward as a group |
| Emphasis on abstract |
| Students seek help from teacher |
| Each child directed the same way |
| Most students’ work completed at home after school hours |
