As parents and educators, it is our responsibility to discern the best form of education for our children. As we examine our conscience as adults living our vocations, we must always place the child, and especially, God working within the child, at the center of our discernment. As parents and teachers, we love the child deeply, recognizing that there is a mystery within their very souls that we cannot fully understand. Dr. Montessori acknowledged this mystery….the “inner teacher” which leads the child through their periods of development. Her educational method seeks to respect the child and every true Montessori teacher will acknowledge this as they prepare their hearts, minds, and environments for teaching.

However, Dr. Montessori herself makes an important distinction between a “secular approach” and a “religious approach” to her own method. In The Child in the Church she writes, “true respect for the child is only possible when we have respect for God in the child” as our fallen human nature, even amidst a genuine concern for the child, will inevitably cause the adult to believe that the child needs to fall into the adult’s ideal of what he should become.

Therefore, as parents we must ask ourselves, “Is Montessori education the most authentic form of Dr. Montessori’s vision?” OR “Is Catholic Montessori education the most pure way of helping the child become who he is meant to be, as Dr. Montessori herself dedicated her life to preserving?”

There are many reasons why parents and educators might choose Catholic Montessori education…in this particular post, three possible reasons are discussed. They are as follows: (1) Catholic Montessori Education Frees the Child (2) Catholic Montessori Education Forms the Adult and (3) Catholic Montessori Education Calls for Evangelization.

Written by: Maggie Clement

We will take a look into how Catholic Montessori education frees the child next week!