About Montessori Education
"Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence."
— Maria Montessori, The Advanced Montessori Method, Volume I
Why Montessori Works: Igniting a Lifelong Love of Learning
At Oak City Academy, we believe children are made in the image of God—relational, curious, capable, and purpose-filled. The Montessori method honors this truth by creating a school experience that doesn’t rush or control childhood, but instead cultivates it.
Valuing Wholeness in Education
Montessori education cuts with the grain of a child’s design—not against it. Children learn through purposeful movement, tactile engagement, and focused observation. At OCA, our classrooms are filled with beautiful, hands-on Montessori materials that unlock understanding in math, science, language, geography, and art. This student-centered approach fosters deep student engagement, student choice, and joyful independence.
What Makes Montessori Different from a Traditional School?
- Multi-Age Classrooms
Students learn in mixed-age environments where younger children are inspired by older role models, and older students grow as leaders and mentors.
- Prepared Environment
Everything in our classrooms is intentionally designed to promote peacefulness, focus, and freedom within structure. Children move independently and responsibly through their day, guided by work contracts and grace and courtesy lessons.
- Self-Paced Learning
Rather than being locked into rigid, one-size-fits-all instruction, students move through lessons as they are ready—developing mastery and confidence at every step.
- Kingdom-Mindset
Oak City Academy’s Montessori model is deeply rooted in a Christian worldview. Through our Character & Bible lessons and Generosity curriculum, children are nurtured to develop generous hearts that love and seek Christ.
- Freedom with Responsibility
Montessori freedom is rooted in discipline, order, and responsibility. This structure invites student voice and cultivates lifelong self-governance.
“It is the child who makes the man, and no man exists who was not made by the child he once was.”
—Maria Montessori
Why It Matters
In a world where many educational systems produce disengaged and apathetic learners, Montessori offers something better: wonder-filled education that invites children to cultivate concentration, experience meaningful work with purpose, develop independence and love learning for a lifetime. OCA takes this further to be Kingdom-minded, empowering students to discover their identity in Christ.
See Montessori in Action
Want to know what it feels like to learn this way? Come see our students in action—reading alongside a younger peer, tracing a continent map on their work rugs, or solving a math problem with hands-on manipulatives.
