Frequently Asked Questions
What is Montessori?
How is the Lakeland experience different from traditional education?
What is Curriculum enrichment?
Isn’t Montessori exclusive?
Is Montessori opposed to competition?
Is Montessori opposed to homework and grades?
How do I know if Lakeland is right for my child?
Each class is made up of children in a three-year developmental cycle (3-6 years, grades 1-3, etc….). Respect for others is fundamental and directs all interactions in the classroom and promotes an attitude of cooperation rather than competition. These classrooms are designed to maximize independent learning and exploration. Using innovative equipment and technology, children master a set progression of skills and learning objectives at their own pace. This system of learning fosters individual responsibility, self motivation and self esteem. The Montessori Method is an internationally recognized system of education. Teachers’ certification, classroom operations and accelerated curriculum are well established. The successful academic outcome of a complete program is well documented worldwide.
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How is the Lakeland experience different from traditional education?
Learning is an exciting process of discovery leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. A more direct comparison is illustrated below:
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Traditional Classroom |
Lakeland Environment |
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One age per class |
Age span of three years per class |
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Learning is driven by memorization |
Learning is accomplished through understanding concepts |
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Progress is based on paperwork |
Progress is based on mastering concepts |
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Information is dispensed by lecture, books and papers |
Students use hands on multi-sensory materials |
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Lessons are abstract |
Lessons are three dimensional and “concrete” |
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Students are stationary |
Movement around classroom is encouraged and orderly |
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Students fit into school program |
School meets needs of students |
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Students leave for special help |
Special help comes to students |
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Teacher acts as primary enforcer of discipline |
Environment and method encourage self-discipline and cooperation |
|
Instruction is group oriented |
Instruction is individualized with group opportunities |
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Our materials and curriculums adhere to the latest research on brain-based education and are designed to meet or exceed all Texas and national academic content standards. Lakeland is fully accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Since our system is self-paced, children can progress as quickly as they wish through the basics.
The Upper School (7th – 12th grade) is a dual credit curriculum college prep program with plans to implement the International Baccalaureate curriculum by 2012. The IB program is recognized throughout the US and is currently used in over 130 countries. It is also recognized by the top universities, such as Yale, Harvard, and Stanford nationally and SMU and TCU locally. For more details please see the "Academics" section of this website.
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What is Curriculum enrichment?
As part of the Lakeland philosophy, extracurricular activities play an important role in the development of the well-rounded child. In addition to the standard curriculum, our school provides opportunities to go beyond the classroom subject matter to expand our students’ horizons and interests. We accomplish this through after school classes called “Studios". Some examples of our Studios are Horsemanship, Martial Arts, Junior Olympic Archery, Cooking with Kids, and more.
Enrichment activities at the Upper School level include internships, competitions, Junior Olympic Archery Club, Travel, Field Trips and more. See more about our Studios in the "Extracurricular" section of this website.
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Lakeland’s instructional approach allows each child to excel in areas of academic strength and gives extra attention to those areas that are more challenging. This methodology allows students to work ahead of level or more slowly to get the repetition needed on a subject-by-subject basis. Some of the progress measures used include portfolio assessments, observations, subject unit tests and standardized tests (ITBS – 3rd through 6th), PSAT, SAT and ACT.
Each student's progress is communicated to parents (and the students themselves) through weekly folders, quarterly progress reports, parent observations, conferences and standardized test graphs.
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What are the Student/Teacher Ratios?
We have fewer students per teacher than traditional schools. Classes of about 20 students will typically have at least one Montessori certified teacher and one assistant teacher, for a student/teacher ratio of roughly 10 to 1.
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Montessori education in general and we at Lakeland Academy, believe school focuses on a partnership with the family to help educate their child. As a result, our parents are typically much more involved than the normal parents in a more traditional school. The activities could include anything from building classroom fixtures to helping teachers to prepare materials, from assisting in the office or a classroom to maintaining the playground, from serving on the Executive Board to managing a fundraising event. In addition, the school has numerous community events that invite the extended family to participate.
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Montessori schools strive to maintain a diverse student body, welcoming families of every ethnic and religious background. Montessori programs are commonly found in public education as magnet programs, charter schools, and Headstart centers as well as private school. Lakeland embraces this philosophy.
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Is Montessori opposed to competition?
Absolutely not. Dr. Montessori originally observed that competition is a natural part of human development but it is an ineffective tool for motivating students to learn and work hard in school.
In Montessori schools, students learn to collaborate with each other instead of simply compete. In an atmosphere where a student learns at their own pace and competes against themselves they discover their own innate abilities and develop a strong sense of independence, self-confidence, and self-discipline.
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Is Montessori opposed to homework and grades?
Lakeland Academy does not believe homework that promotes rote learning is needed in schools. Homework is an expansion of classroom topics and a tool to help students learn how to organize themselves, budget time, and follow through on assignments. In the upper grades, homework is emphasized to expand knowledge and communication skills rather than practicing rudimentary skills.
Lower school tracks the individual student’s progress toward their individual educational goals versus limiting them to grade level curriculum. Upper School grades use a traditional numerical grading system.
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How do I know if Lakeland is right for my child?
Families attracted to Lakeland Academy traditionally believe that an educational system should:
- Be challenging yet flexible, rather than highly competitive and rigid
- Foster independence, confidence and self-discipline
- Treat the entire school community with respect
- Be inclusive rather than exclusive
Montessori is designed to be flexible, adapting to differences of the students rather than have all progress at the same rate. It also allows students to move about and socialize independently. Realize, however, that not every student is a match. Those that are violent, destructive, or constantly disturb the peace and order of the class may not be good candidates.
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Are there any famous or successful people who were Montessori educated?
There are many familiar people who were Montessori educated:
- Larry Page - Co-Founder of Google
- Sergey Brin - Co-Founder of Google
- Jeffrey Bezos - Founder of Amazon.com
- Katharine Graham - Owner/Editor of the Washington Post
- Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis - Editor, former First Lady of the United States
- Peter Drucker – Writer, professor, management guru
- Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs (formerly known as Puffy) - Record producer, rapper, actor, and men's fashion designer
- Anne Frank - Author of The Diary of Anne Frank
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez - Nobel Prize winner for Literature
- Prince William and Prince Harry - English royal family
- T. Berry Brazelton - Pediatrician and author
- Julia Child – Chef, star of many TV cooking shows, and author
- Friedensreich Hundertwasser - Austrian painter and architect
- David Blaine - an illusionist, endurance artist, and magician
Other famous people connected to Montessori include:
- Alexander Graham Bell (inventor) and his wife Mabel founded the Montessori Education Association in 1913. They also provided financial support directly to Dr. Maria Montessori and helped establish the first Montessori class in Canada and one of the first in the United States.
- Mister Rogers, children's TV personality, was a strong supporter of Montessori education.
- Thomas Edison, scientist and inventor, helped found a Montessori school.
- President Wilson's daughter trained as a Montessori teacher. There was a Montessori classroom in the basement of the White House during Wilson's presidency.
- Alice Waters, restaurateur and writer, is a former Montessori teacher.
- Jean Piaget, noted Swiss psychologist, made his first observations of children in a Montessori school. He was also head of the Swiss Montessori Society for many years.
Lakeland Academy
4271 County Road 2546
Union Valley, Texas 75474
972/636-3777
972/635-9393 Fax