If you are considering where you send your child to get the best education possible in Toronto, consider sending him or her to a Montessori school. Much like other private elementary schools, Toronto Montessori schools focus on developing students as an organic whole.
Founded by Maria Montessori in the last 1800’s, Montessori education aims at encouraging students to follow their natural interests and inclinations, and allow these to drive instruction in the classroom. There are also a number of developmental milestones that Montessori takes into consideration, and supplies children with ample resources to further develop sensory, motor, language, and social skills.
The advantages of private schools like Montessori are student-centered instruction, low teacher to student ratios, and curricular flexibility. In essence, the school does not necessarily have to follow national standards and guidelines, making it easier for them to analyze student strengths, and formulate the curriculum around what works best for students, as well as their abilities.
With a smaller student to teacher ratio, teachers can reach out to more students within a classroom. They are able to individualize instruction, work with students one-on-one, and make sure that all students understand the material. This is hard to do in a classroom of 20 or more students, but in a private school setting, there are usually less than 10 or 15 children in each classroom.
One of the downsides to private schools, though, is that they can be costly — sometimes as much as a year of tuition at a college or university. But there are private school grants and private school scholarships that families can apply for. Private school scholarships and grants are awarded to qualified students, and can be a great help for parents who want to give their children a high quality education.
So, if you are unsure of where to send your child, do some research on Montessori private schools. You will likely find that their values speak more to the natural development of your child as a whole individual, making them worth the investment.