Willow River Montessori

Willow River Montessori is a family child care and parent co-operative that provides part-time care for children, ages 18 months to 3 years old. Willow River Montessori follows the teachings of Maria Montessori and Magda Gerber. We aim to provide a quality experience for children with an emphasis on developing intrinsic motivation, respectful relationships, and independence. I have been teaching in Montessori schools since 2011 and have experience with infants to elementary-aged children. I finished my Montessori training in 2014.

We have extended periods of free exploration time as well as daily outside time. Focus is on putting trust and respect in the child's competence and natural development.

This is done through:
-limiting interruptions to a child's concentration;
-consistent observations to understand the needs of each individual child;
-teaching independence skills based on each child's development;
-giving time and space to practice and make mistakes;
-building connections while care giving for the children;
-letting the children problem solve on their own as much as possible;
-giving limits based on mutual respect and safety.