With over 25 years of certified Montessori teaching experience, we at Union Village Montessori School in Berkeley Heights continue presenting a holistic learning approach. We strive to provide students with an environment of love, education, and life skills. We aim to bring out the full potential as we kindle a passion for learning.
 
AMS and AMI pedagogical standards maintain a certain level of excellence that Dr. Maria Montessori envisioned. For a child to be set up for success, the three most essential ingredients in our Montessori classroom are the Teacher, the Prepared Environment, and the Child.
 
The Teacher
 
One of the essential tools in the child’s learning lies within the teacher. She must support the child in his learning, give him the order to classify what he has learned, help him build self-confidence, and provide him with meaningful activities.
 
The teacher aims to introduce materials only by observing the child experimenting with the different areas. She may also vary stimulus and material quantity according to the child’s needs.
 
The Prepared Environment
 
“The fundamental fact in the preparation of the environment is to have only one set of each type of material. When there is only one specimen of each object, and if a piece is used when another child wants it, the latter will wait for it to be released. Since this happens every hour of the day for years, the idea of respecting others, and of waiting for one’s turn, becomes a regular part of life which always grows more mature.”~ Dr. Maria Montessori
 
To be a child is to be curious. With this in mind, the environment is a prepared child-sized community. Each child is encouraged to become a functioning community member and explore it in all respects. 
 
The Child
 
Children between the ages of 2.5-6 years are experiencing dramatic changes in their bodies. Their brain supports unfolding their motor, perceptual, cognitive, social & emotional, and intellectual capacities. The use of language is emerging as toddlers begin to use their words to communicate. 
 
Activities are positioned around the room for children to choose independently. The activities allow children to begin to experience concepts of sequence, form, shape, movement, and sound. The activities change and evolve as the child grows physically, emotionally, and intellectually.
 
Our environment supports critical thinking, building understanding and vocabulary, problem-solving, communication, reflection, and being there for one another through mindful activities.