Welcome to Riverforest Montessori School — Owen Sound’s first Montessori School. Serving the Grey Bruce community since 1974, our Montessori trained staff and professional educators are committed to providing children 18 months to 12 years old with a superior educational experience — where love of learning begins.
This video was created as part of the documentary film project, Building the Pink Tower (www.buildingthepinktower.org).
A 3 hour Montessori work cycle. (C) Lindsay Palmer Photography: http://www.lindsaypalmer.ca
Dr. Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator best known for the philosophy of education that bears her name.
“The child is capable of developing and giving us tangible proof of the possibility of a better humanity. He has shown us the true process of construction of the human being. We have seen children totally change as they acquire a love for things and as their sense of order, discipline, and self-control develops within them…. The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.” (Education and Peace)
“… the first thing his education demands is the provision of an environment in which he can develop the powers given him by nature. This does not mean just to amuse him and let him do what he likes. But it does mean that we have to adjust our minds to doing a work of collaboration with nature, to being obedient to one of her laws, the law which decrees that development comes from environmental experience.” (The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 8, p. 89)
“I have found that in his development, the child passes through certain phases, each of which has its own particular needs. The characteristics of each are so different that the passages from one phase to the other has been described by certain psychologists as ‘rebirths’.” (Four Planes of Education, p. 1)
“At the Riverforest Montessori School intellectual nourishment occurs in an atmosphere of love, respect and the development of self-confident and inquisitive children. After fourteen years of involvement with the school, our family remains extremely satisfied with our educational choice.”Kerry Connelly and Colin McIver, Parents of four children
Take a peek inside as students work, help each other and enjoy enrichment activities, and you will see and hear children engaged joyfully in learning. We encourage you to call or email us to book a visit and class observation – we welcome the opportunity to help you learn more about the Montessori teaching method and the prepared environment.
Our classrooms are carefully designed and filled with quality Montessori learning materials to create the prepared environment – where children experience freedom within limits to cultivate their skills and master concepts as they become most receptive and ready. This approach enhances the child’s engagement and success as they work with their own momentum. This helps children learn self-direction and good decision-making skills.
The Montessori method maximizes the child’s ability to focus and delve into an area of interest (lesson) for sustained periods of time. Working individually or in small teams, children are provided the time, materials and self-correcting methods required to fully absorb and put lessons into practice independently. In turn this helps children further develop their focus and cooperative skills as they help themselves and each other to apply new skills.
