Maria Montessori had unique insights of the child as a being and as a learner. These insights are organized into planes or stages of development.

The first stage (ages 0-6 years) reveals the infant and toddler as "an unconscious creator" and the early child as a "conscious worker." During this period, the child develops independence, coordination, self-discipline, and concentration. Our curriculum satisfies the natural tendency for this age child to learn through doing.

During the second stage (ages 6-12 years), children continue to strengthen their coordination, independence, concentration, and inner self-discipline. Their desire and ability to learn through discovery is enhanced by the growth of their imagination, socialization skills, and moral values. As they move toward the end of this stage, children solidify and refine their skills and focus on in-depth research of areas of interest.

In the third stage, early adolescents prefer conversation -- the key is to provide them with exercises in listening and trust. The basis for the design of curriculum and instructional strategies is the recognition that this age child is ready for inter-dependence, commitment, responsibility, and abstract reasoning while attending to his/her physical metamorphosis.

Whitby School accepts these stages as fundamental to our school organization, curriculum, environment, and methods.