Sewickley Montessori School uses practical knowledge and curiosity to teach children

SEWICKLEY, Pa. (KDKA) — What do Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Julia Child, Yo-Yo Ma, Google co-founder Larry Page and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have in common? They all attended Montessori schools when they were children.

At Montessori Children’s Community School in Sewickley, Montessori philosophy is used with about 75 students – most in preschool and kindergarten, but about two dozen in elementary and middle schools.

Classes look different than in a traditional school – there are no desks or blackboards. Instead, there are shelves and shelves of learning materials for children.

“They teach us, but in a fun way,” says third-grader Sofia Ariana.

Cathy Rohrer has been teaching the Montessori method for 15 years. At the Sewickley school, he teaches math to school-age children, using hands-on materials such as wooden tools that adjust to different angles to teach geometry. Learning through practice is a key element of the Montessori method.

Another key element is stimulating children’s natural curiosity, giving them the freedom and time to delve deeper into what interests them.

Rohrer says students are encouraged to consider questions such as: “What do I want to discover? Is there anything here I can take further? Do I have time for this? Can I do this with a friend? Should I do this?” do it at the table or can I do it on the rug? Do I need to get up and move around? They have a lot of autonomy.”

More than 100 years ago, Maria Montessori, a doctor and educator, developed a teaching method in Italy.

For four weeks a year, middle school students at the Sewickley school live in a house on the property where they are taught to live independently. In addition, students run their own shop where they sell candles and soaps they make.

School principal Terri Modic says teachers try to use the local community in lessons.

“If you study chemistry, they study river water. When they study architecture, they study bridges. When they study early Americans, they study the Indians who settled in this valley,” Modic says.

Another key element of Montessori is multiple classes grouped together in a classroom.

“I think it’s useful in the younger grades to be able to look up to the older grades, and when you’re in the older grades, to be an example to the younger grades,” says eighth-grader Evan Wood, who attended the Montessori school of his studies most of the time.

Students also complete their work at their own pace, beginning to learn independence and responsibility for their schoolwork. Sometimes it is more like fun and games than school learning, but supporters of the Montessori method claim that this is what makes it successful. Children enjoy learning about science and each other.

“They learn how to be with each other, how to take care of each other in the classroom,” Rohrer says. “When we go out into the world, there is an expectation that this is how we are with each other. They feel very connected because all the things we teach are very connected.”

Montessori school students must take the same standardized tests as public school students, and Montessori Children’s Community School in Sewickley says its students consistently perform above average.

There are at least 60,000 Montessori schools around the world. There are about a dozen of them in the Pittsburgh area, some attending middle school and others only attending preschool and kindergarten.

For more information about Montessori Children’s Community School, please visit: visit their website. More information about Montessori philosophy can be found on the website click here.

KDKA-TV is proud to partner with kidsburgh.org.