Nurturing the Whole Child since 1986
Accredited Montessori Education
Whole Earth Montessori is a AMS accredited member school. The American Montessori Society leads, empowers, and serves the global community of Montessori educators as the foremost advocate for research and policy, ongoing teacher education, and standards of accreditation through opportunities for mentored individual growth, collaboration, and member engagement.
Whole Earth's Programs
Ages 3-6: The Age of the Absorbent Mind
11:1 Student-teacher ratio, class size of 22 with two teachers. All programs are 5-days/week with an early release during parent teacher conferences. We offer half (mornings only) and full day options.
At age 3, children begin to develop order, concentration, coordination, and independence by being introduced to lessons that mimic daily Life, such as taking Care of self, environment, and grace and courtesy lessons. The E.C. students are encouraged to think for themselves by working independently and in small groups of 2-3. The goal of a Montessori classroom is to build intrinsic motivation, curiosity, and love of learning in every child.
Grades 1-3: The Age of Imagination and Interests
12:1 Student-teacher ratio, class size of 24 with two teachers. The program is 5-days/week with an early release during parent teacher conferences.
The elementary child has reached the stage of development where they like to know the cause and effect of everything surrounding them. The lower elementary child begins to develop abstract thinking skills and imagination with the guidance of the Five Great Lessons. Our program continues to feature small group and one-on-one lessons, with a focus on building a community within this group.
Grades 4-6: The Age of Abstract Thinking and Industry
15:1 Student-teacher ratio, class size of 15 with one teacher. The program is 5-days/week with an early release during parent teacher conferences.
The child has moved beyond cause and effect to “how.” The focus in this age group is to make sense of the incoherent data and ideas they are experiencing in the world. Social interactions are fundamental, and we honor this by offering more collaborative group projects. Students are expected to plan their daily schedules in one-week increments.
All levels receive specialist instruction in art, gardening, health education, music, and Spanish.
Why five days a week?
In Montessori education, consistency is essential in developing the child’s sense of order and responsibility. Children genuinely feel that the classroom is their second home and desire to maintain and care for it. At this formative age, routine is of the utmost importance. Consistency is the foundation for learning in the future. Often, the problems that arise later (such as lack of discipline or concentration) are a direct result of failing to provide a consistent basis for education.
Why Montessori for Kindergarten?
Montessori is one of the most developmentally appropriate models for teaching early childhood and elementary education. The primary reason to keep your child in Montessori for Kindergarten is to complete their maturation, from the youngest student in the classroom to the oldest. This process gives children the opportunity to develop both academically and socially. As Dr. Maria Montessori says, “The child is like a flower that needs to be tended. Once it starts to bloom, it must continue to be stimulated and cared for, as it has been from the very start.” Science continues to validate the procedures and methods Montessori invented and have been in practice for over 100 years.
Why a three year cycle?
WEM has carefully designed its programs to help each child complete their journey from a wonder-filled childhood to a self-assured, optimistic adulthood. WEM’s Early Childhood Program occurs in a three-year cycle. In our Early Childhood Program, preschool-age students and kindergarten students learn together in the same classroom. Authentic, mixed-aged Montessori classrooms are vibrant with developmentally appropriate materials, teaching methodologies, and individualized instruction. Intellectually rigorous yet nurturing. In multi-age classrooms, students inspire each other!
The three-year cycle also occurs in our Lower and Upper Elementary program. Elementary students in 1st to 3rd grade or 4th to 6th grade share a single classroom. Children of all ages naturally absorb the lessons presented around them. Individual instruction deepens learning intensity. Student-driven discovery fuels academic and social development.
This inclusive structure offers many benefits. Children can progress at their own pace without grade-level stigma. Younger children learn from older children and aspire to engage with what their peers are doing. In turn, older children further their mastery of subject matter and receive immeasurable academic confidence by acting as teachers to younger children. Mixed-aged classrooms also assist in developing more persuasive social and emotional skills by creating societies within the classrooms where all children have input and agree upon the rules that will govern their community.
