Desert Sky Montessori

Welcome to Desert Sky Montessori. We are a friendly community of learners located in North Scottsdale. Our classroom serves children 2½ to 6 years old. We encourage you to explore.

The materials used in the primary environment are based on the young child's unique aptitude for learning which Dr. Montessori identified as the "Absorbent Mind." Montessori compared the young mind to a sponge. It absorbs information from the environment. Acquiring information in this way is a natural and delightful activity for the young child who employs all her senses to investigate her interesting surrounding.

Maria Montessori emphasized that the hand is the chief teacher of the child. "The hand is the the organ of the brain." In order to learn there must be concentration. Adults do not teach concentration. They allow the child to explore without interruption. Dr. Montessori stressed the importance of the sensitive periods for early learning. There are periods of intense fascination for learning a particular characteristic or skill. For primary students, some of these sensitive periods include language, movement, order, music and manipulating small objects. It is easier for the child to learn a particular skill during the corresponding sensitive periods than at any time in her life. The Montessori classroom takes advantage of this by allowing the child freedom to select individual activities, which correspond to her period of interest. This is what is meant by, "Follow the child."