philosophy « home

Rochester Montessori School’s philosophy is inspired by Dr. Maria Montessori who created the classroom model and the developmental learning materials. The school continues her work in developmental psychology and education, incorporating the work of others in these fields while adapting to the needs of the children in the 21st century and beyond.

As proponents of the Montessori method, we believe that each child is born a learner and that the full potential of each person is realized only through an ordered, challenging, nurturing environment that meets the physical, intellectual, and spiritual needs of the child.

We believe that the child, and his or her needs, is the central and commanding focus of the learning process. It is the role of the school to observe, to know, and to defend the child as he or she proceeds through the stages of development.

We see in each child the future of our society, of our nation, and of our planet. The child in the process of fundamental development has unlimited possibilities, and the future relies on our ability to cultivate these potentials.

We believe that the learning process is governed by specific human needs and tendencies:

• basic or primary needs are food, clothing and shelter


• fundamental physical needs are transportation and communication


• fundamental spiritual needs are love, spirituality, art/music, and vanitas

  Tendencies (the urge to satisfy one's needs is what is classified as a human tendency.)

• basic tendencies are exploration, orientation, order and communication (communication is the only need that is also a human tendency)


• intellectual tendencies are reason, abstraction, imagination, and a mathematical mind


• creative tendencies are work, repetition and self-perfection.