Spanish Immersion Montessori Preschool to Open in Belmont

Boston’s first and only Spanish immersion Montessori preschool will hold an open house from 1-3 p.m. Oct. 26 at Montessori Escuela, 34 Ridge Road, Belmont.

Under the directorship of Maria Liebmann, Montessori Escuela will open its doors to students beginning in the fall of 2015. The preschool is the first in the area to combine Spanish language immersion with primary Montessori education for 2-6 year olds.

“During the first six years of life, children have what Montessori education calls ‘the absorbent mind,’” says Liebmann. “They have a fantastic ability to soak in everything around them, including new languages. The unique thing about Montessori Escuela is that it presents the traditional Montessori curriculum in a Spanish immersion environment.”

Like other Montessori schools, Liebmann’s will feature mixed age classrooms, uninterrupted blocks of work time and a “discovery” model of education, in which students learn concepts through their interactions with specialized, hands-on educational materials rather than direct instruction from a traditional teacher. By eliminating the rigid structures of conventional classrooms, Montessori schools encourage students to embrace their curiosity, think imaginatively and see the world as an array of possibilities.

Liebmann has a deep background in both education and Spanish language and culture. With a master’s degree from the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain, she taught Spanish for more than 10 years in the Dedham, Medfield and Dover-Sherborn school districts. She currently teaches at a Montessori program for toddlers and preschoolers.

Asked to sum up the essence of Montessori education in a single sentence, Liebmann’s face lights up. “It’s based on the Montessori belief that each child is born with a unique potential to be revealed,” she says, “rather than a blank slate waiting to be written upon.”

For more information about Montessori Escuela, call 508-454-0631 or visit MontessoriEscuela.com.