East County Times Column Nov. 6, 2008

It has been a long road of getting permits, licenses, and developing a program that adheres to the tenets of its teaching style, but finally Oakley’s first Montessori preschool will see its grand opening Nov. 15. This might sound a little confusing since the preschool, Oakley Montessori, has really been open since June, but owner Sherin Ameerdeen said that there is a lot involved in opening a Montessori preschool and she wanted to do it right.
The Montessori name is not a franchise name or a trademark. It is a style of teaching developed over a century ago that schools such as Oakley Montessori follow, according to Ameerdeen. “We’ve been described as Montessori with a buzz,” she said. “I’ve had extensive training in Montessori training. I was a Montessori teacher for 13 years including working as a head master of a school.”
In addition to her own skills she says that the three teachers that work for her at Oakley Montessori are well trained. They are accredited and have completed early childhood education course work.
Ameerdeen said that the staff at Oakley Montessori Preschool believes that childhood is a journey, not a race. “At Oakley Montessori we provide a dynamic educational program for children that fosters individual growth and creates a sympathetic community that enables children to work out conflicts and to develop loving relations with peers and adults.” This is very much the way that the first Montessori School was put together.
Unlike educational trends that come and go, the popularity of the Montessori method has grown worldwide for over a century, she said. The Montessori curriculum allows children to learn at a more natural pace while providing a solid academic base.
The Montessori School’s culture is devoted to helping each child grow toward independence by building confidence, competence, self-esteem and respect for others. The program at The Montessori School is based on the scientific research work of Dr. Maria Montessori of Italy. Dr. Montessori taught that the school should respect children as self-directed individuals and fosters their growth toward independence and social responsibility, while creating a happy, diverse and family-oriented community.
Ameerdeen said that she has taken the past few months to put extra care in making sure that the classroom designs follow the Montessori curriculum. When they opened in June they moved into rooms that were previously designed as a preschool at the Destiny Church on O’Hara Avenue. The rooms were like a blank canvas that it was up to Ameerdeen and her staff to put together the right combination of equipment and instruction to follow Dr. Montessori’s teachings. That included putting together five different areas that would allow for both individual and social development.
Presently, Oakley Montessori serves children ages newborn through 6 years. “Through individual and small group lessons and the powerful experience of peer teaching, a student’s natural desire to learn is nurtured and cultivated through the most formative years. True to the Montessori method, children are grouped in mixed-age classrooms and learn with an interconnected curriculum,” Ameerdeen said.
Teachers offer a multi-sensory learning environment that promotes respect, cooperation, order and choice within limits.
“By cherishing ethnic differences and supporting economic diversity we create a community that encourages global awareness and social responsibility. As a result, children develop good interpersonal skills,” she said. Ameerdeen asks that those interested please call for an appointment at 625-3921 before stopping by to learn more.