Dr. Maria Montessori set up Montessori pedagogy in Italy to meet the needs of children in difficulty whom she had observed often. She developed and adapted scientific material that promotes their concentration in a way that they can handle. They learn to read, write, count, and explore the world.

It is a scientific pedagogy whose benefits for the intellectual and social development of the child have been proven and validated throughout the world. It is based on the child's ‘sensitive periods', which must be observed. Answers must also be provided to accompany the curious child searching for autonomy, providing him with a 'prepared environment' conducive to learning.

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Montessori Small World is an authentic Montessori school. Montessori pedagogy is rigorously applied there:

• All MSW guides are graduates of the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). In their role of guides for children in their development and exploration of the world, they guarantee strict respect for Montessori principles.

• Each day, a period of several hours for Montessori activities is respected.

• All Montessori material is available in each classroom and comes from Nienhuis, an AMI-approved manufacturer collaborating with Dr. Montessori to create her material. Other Montessori activities complete this material.

• Groups of children of mixed ages promote learning, self-confidence, and mutual aid.

• Freedom of movement and a free choice of activities promote concentration and the pleasure of learning.

• There is no grading system, no rewards, no homework.

The 'prepared environment' within our Children's House is conducive to concentration and stimulating children's curiosity. It also allows them to explore and begin to understand the world.

The environment is organized into 'areas'. In each area, all Montessori material is available to children on wooden shelves positioned at a suitable height for their age:

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• The practical life area revolves around caring for the self, caring for the environment, grace, courtesy, and objects' movement.

• The sensorial area promotes the various impressions given by the senses. Sensory activities help children clarify, classify, and understand the world around them.

• The mathematics area promotes the understanding of shape, space, numbers, and their attributes and relationships.

• The language area covers writing, speaking, and reading activities.

• The culture area covers geography, zoology, botany, physical science, art and history-related activities.

Montessori Small World is a bilingual French/English school. Our English learning approach, both by immersion and workshops, enriches children's vocabulary naturally and improves their confidence to express themselves in English with an excellent accent. ​The "Exploring English" workshop is provided through materials in English, fun activities, pictures, games, songs, and dialogue.​

Curious children need to discover from an early age the various countries and cultures which complement each other. They constitute a wealth and an inexhaustible source of discovery. In addition to information and knowledge about cultures that feed children’s curiosity and thirst for learning, this openness to the world allows them to be aware of the difference, see the positive aspects for themselves and the world, and be more tolerant.

Openness to the world is applied through:

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• The presence of teachers and children of various nationalities and cultures

• Montessori activities in history, geography, other cultures.

• A country is in the spotlight during two weeks at Montessori Small World. The "It's a Small World" workshop presents one country emphasizing its cultural specificities—language, monuments, arts, music, dance, cuisine, traditional costumes, history, traditions, and the like.  

From an early age, the importance of reading is highlighted to allow children to become readers for pleasure and take advantage of all the benefits of this activity to stimulate their minds and advance their intellectual and social development.

In addition to developing oral and written language and improving concentration and memory, reading also offers children an opportunity to travel to new places, make new discoveries, live new experiences, help them to face certain situations, understand and express emotions, and broaden their horizons.

The presence of books and reading activities is fundamental for intellectual development and stimulation of the brain:

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• The presence of a bookshelf with graphic novels available to children allows even the youngest to discover the pleasure of leafing through a book, to make discoveries on each page, and to get used to reading from left to right. Older children can enjoy reading by applying the knowledge acquired through Montessori language material and thus strengthen their self-confidence as young readers.

• The Storytelling workshop animated by the teachers and the reading activities constitutes an effective way to strengthen the children's concentration and attention skills and develop their language, vocabulary, comprehension, and oral expression skills.