Frequently Asked Questions
A typical day at Seneca Village Montessori is filled with hands on exploration. We believe that children learn best by “doing”. Our day includes Harambee Circle (where we pull together for discussion, songs and affirmations), African Heritage Lessons, Montessori Work Cycle where little ones explore Literacy, Mathematics, Sensorial and Practical Life Activities, Outdoor/Indoor Play, Music & Movement, Arts & Crafts, Quiet Time etc…
Our little ones also participate in weekly Spanish Language Lessons, Gardening Classes, African Drumming Classes and Cooking Lessons.
Black students continue to be exposed to many negative interpretations of what it means to be Black. The distinctive purpose of African Centered Education is to develop self-consciousness, self determination, positive self-concept, a sense of Africa as it applies to the upliftment of the community, and an understanding of Africa as it to applies to personal growth and development. It is the overall goal of African Centered Education to offset the pervasive educational challenges caused by cultural amnesia and self hatred.
- The African centered school experience provides a sense of freedom and confidence.
- The African centered learning experience fosters an intellectual maturity earlier in life than might otherwise have taken place.
- Daily African centered interactions prepare students for global citizenships as they develop the skills to deal with all types of people with a clear awareness of “who I am and where I am from.”
- African centered instructional models develop critical thinking skills and provide the tools for advanced synthesis, and research analysis.
- The intellect and cognitive skills developed from African centered learning experiences translates through all things and throughout life.
The Montessori method is a unique educational approach that nurtures a child’s intrinsic desire to learn. Montessori focuses on the whole child—her cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Montessori is designed to help all children reach their fullest potential at their own unique pace. A classroom whose children have varying abilities is a community in which everyone learns from one another and everyone contributes. Moreover, multiage grouping allows each child to find his or her own pace without feeling “ahead” or “behind” in relation to peers. The Montessori method:
- Fosters the growth of functional independence, task persistence and self-regulation
- Promotes social development through respectful, clear communication and safe, natural consequences
- Contains a large variety of materials for the refinement of sensory perception and the development of literacy and mathematical understanding
- Offers opportunities for imaginative exploration leading to confident, creative self-expression
According to Dr. Amos Wilson, the Montessori system “has been demonstrated to provide a viable approach to education of African American children. It can produce high levels of academic and cognitive achievements of children that have been exposed to the program. This is due to the fact that Montessori method achieves a good match between children’s cognitive capacity and the educational materials used by the program and the individually paces self correcting choices made by the children in interaction with their teachers.”– Awakening the Natural Genius of the Black Child.
Still have questions? Contact us.

