After completing the three year preprimary program Angel Care Montessori children are unusually adaptable. They have learned to work independently and in groups. Since they have been encouraged to make decisions from an early age, these children are problem solvers who can make choices and manage their time well. They have also been encouraged to exchange ideas and to discuss their work freely with others, thereby developing good communication skills that ease the way in new settings. The best predictor of future success is a sense of self-esteem. Our program based on self-directed, non-competitive activities, help children develop good self-images, and the confidence to face challenges and change with optimism. Children leaving Angel Care are well prepared to continue to learn in any educational environment. They feel empowered!

Traditional vs Montessori
Traditional education or product education is modeled on factories; based on efficiency; treats all children as if they were the same; believes the child to be as an empty vessel or blank slate to be filled with information; views the teacher as the dominating force in educating the child; is fear based; uses extrinsic motivation; is competitive; learning is rote; learning is concentrated in bits of knowledge; approach is based in adult convenience and misconception.

Montessori education or process education by contrast is ground in close and insightful observations of children, based on self esteem, self respect and inner self discipline; extrinsic rewards are avoided, motivation is internalized; children learn with and from their peers; learning is contextual; learning occurs in context of interest; children are empowered to make choices; learning emphasis is on mastery; education involves movement to enhance learning; there is a natural joy in learning; children learn how to learn.

Teacher’s role
The teachers at Angel Care give the program its inspired energy. Their love of children, passion for teaching, and high expectations nurture intellectual curiosity and generate active learning. Teachers design their classroom so as to create, “a miniature republic of childhood, supported by wise guardians who see their role as background, not foreground.” Angel Care teachers are consistent models of calm, caring and respectful behavior, and they clearly communicate their expectations of similar behavior from the children. Teachers move through the classroom, facilitating children’s work choices and social relationships as they carefully observe and frequently record the key points of each child’s day.

Learning
Our children learn how to learn. They learn to focus their attention on an interest, and in doing so make a commitment to learning something. Through this active engagement they discover the joy of learning. We realize the importance of each child’s early experiences in the formation of an emotionally healthy, responsible adult. We see our role as nurturing the immense potential within each child, and supporting the task of inner development.

Children are exposed to a range of intellectual, physical and social activities, and they are given long blocks of uninterrupted time to create, play and work. In this way children take responsibility for their own learning. They learn to ask questions and to seek explanations and then to ask more questions. They learn to make decisions, to challenge themselves, and to strategize. Children’s intellectual growth is intertwined with their social and emotional development. 

Intellectual growth flourishes in a nonjudgmental community where freedom for the individual is balanced with respect for others and their environment. Children choose to work independently or with classmates. As they develop more competencies, they quite naturally take on increased responsibility in the activities of the classroom.