Why Montessori

A History Of Excellence

As the first Montessori school in Western New York, founded in 1963 by Irene Murphy, DHM, Nardin Montessori has offered an approach to teaching and learning that uniquely prepares students to succeed in our complex and rapidly changing world.

Education For Life

The Montessori experience at Nardin Academy sets the stage for self-motivated, life-long learning. Skills such as thinking critically, working collaboratively, and acting boldly, now recognized as “21st century skills,” have always been at the core of Maria Montessori’s child centered approach to education. At Nardin Montessori curiosity, exploration, discovery, collaboration, and independence are fostered alongside academic skills in a warm, thoughtfully designed learning environment.

The Montessori Classroom

The Montessori classroom provides an opportunity for the child to reach his or her maximum potential through experiential learning. Under the guidance and encouragement of our Montessori certified teachers, children can choose to work at tables or on the floor and materials are designed to be explored and repeated, cultivating a child’s natural curiosity.

The Three-Year Cycle

One of the hallmarks of the Montessori Method is the multi-aged grouping of students, allowing for interaction and reinforcement between experienced and younger children. Younger children can learn from their older peers who act as mentors and role models while reinforcing their own learning by teaching. This three-year cycle mirrors the real world and fosters a sense of responsibility and social care.

Freedom Within Limits

In a Montessori classroom, children become active participants in choosing what the focus of their learning will be within the parameters set by their teachers. Long periods of uninterrupted work time allow students to engage in meaningful, interesting, self-directed work and learn at their own pace in an environment that balances developmentally appropriate freedom with responsibility.