A group of 3 to 5 year olds laughed with their teacher Friday. Students at Davidson Montessori range in age from 2 to 6. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Andrea Cruz Solano founded the school in January 2011. She's planning an open house Saturday, Jan. 28. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Every morning at the Davidson Montessori School on South Street, 3-, 4- and 5-year-old students spend a little time practicing letters, sounds and spelling. Teacher Andrea Cruz Solano encourages them, even the youngest, as they reach into a box and pull out wooden letters to spell out words like ham, pan, sad and fan.

The sounding and spelling are a precursor to writing, something the program emphasizes, Ms. Cruz Solano says.

Ms. Cruz Solano opened the Davidson Montessori a year ago in the Calvary Presbyterian Church on South Street, combining two loves – teaching and the environment. Davidson Montessori is a member of the American Montessori Society and is promoting itself as an “eco-Friendly Montessori School that strives to sustain the planet with our practices and in the way we teach your children.”

A decade ago in Miami, Ms. Cruz Solano was hunting for a preschool for her children. After a series of visits, she picked a Montessori school, where all four of her children went. Although she was trained as an architect, she became such a fan of Montessori that she ended up getting into the business, first in Miami and now in Davidson.

The kids aged 3 to 5 use wooden letters to spell. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Montessori schools follow the methods of Maria Montessori who “believed that every child delights in spontaneous activity directed towards intellectual discovery.” The idea, Ms. Cruz Solano says, is to let each child to develop at his or her own individual pace, teaching to each child’s potential, not age level.

Besides the emphasis on nature, the school focuses on four areas, Ms. Cruz Solano said: Practical life, senses, language and math. There are weekly visits by educators from the Latta Planatation Nature Center in Huntersville. Students also do a lot of movement – a key tenet of Montessori – including regular yoga classes and walks on a nearby nature trail.

“We believe that a child needs to move in order to learn,” she said.

Students also are exposed to science, art and international culture and language, including twice-weekly Spanish lessons. Ms. Cruz Solano is an international citizen herself: Born in Brazil, educated there and in Florida

The school started with 10 students and is now looking to expand beyond that. Besides Ms. Cruz Solano, there’s also an assistant teacher. Ms. Cruz Solano eventually would like to grow into a full elementary school.

OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY

Davidson Montessori School will hold an open house for prospective families on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 1 p.m., at the school, in Calvary Presbyterian Church, 605 South St. More information is at DavidsonMontessori.org or by calling 704-895-6600.

The school offers a toddler program for 2 year olds, and a primary program for 3 to 6 year olds. Hours are 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and there’s an option for early drop-off.

- David Boraks

Students worked with Andrea Cruz Solano. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)