Causes: Education, Preschools

Mission: To nurture children to become lifelong learners and citizens of the world using the montessori method of education.

Programs: Dakota montessori school educates and provides childcare for children. Infants - the infant community accepts children at six weeks of age. They are free to grow and develop at their own pace, in calm, serene environment. Most parents sense that the montessori infant community provides their child something special. Toddlers - for nearly a century montessori teachers have been observing toddlers and creating a learning environment that responds to the developmental needs of early childhood with the benefit of a caring nurturing environment. Toddlers learn faster than most at any other time in their life. The toddler community respects this time in a child's life and offers group activities, as well as independent work periods. Pre-primary - the pre-primary community is primarily focused on five areas practical life, seasonal, language, math and cultural studies. The emphasis is on individual learning, though there are daily group lessons and social interactions. The pre-primary children make choices in areas that are of the greatest interest to them. Once the activity is introduced, the teacher is able to withdraw and the child is able to work independently. The love of learning is fostered each day and a sprint of respect and cooperation is developed. Elementary - the montessori elementary experience responds to the child's expanding view of the universe. Many new materials are introduced as the child enters into more abstract thinking. Their developing imagination embraces concepts larger than their immediate environment. The elementary curriculum is interdisciplinary, allowing science, social studies, the arts, language, math and foreign language converging in studies guided by the child's own questions. Emphasis is placed on the connections between the different areas of study, not on the mere presentations of detail.