What is the Marpole Bilingual Montessori Method?
The Marpole Bilingual Montessori method has been thoughtfully developed over the school’s 40-year history. Rooted in a holistic approach, our learning environment nurtures the development of the whole child. While a strong academic foundation is central to our program, we believe true growth comes from a balanced blend of exposure and experience—empowering children to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
The Secret to Good Teaching
“The secret of good teaching is to regard the child’s intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds many be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination. Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inner most core. We do not want complacent pupils, but eager ones: we seek to sow life in the child rather than theories, to help him in his growth, mental and emotional as well as physical, and for that we must offer grand and lofty ideas to the human mind, which we find ever ready to receive them, demanding more and more”
What Makes Marpole Montessori Different?
At Marpole Bilingual Montessori, we take pride in offering a bilingual, holistic approach to early education. Each class begins with an engaging French circle time, immersing children in the language through vocabulary, stories, songs, and movement. Following circle time, children are invited to explore a thoughtfully designed classroom—an environment crafted to spark curiosity and inspire a love of learning. During the first hour of the work cycle, we place special emphasis on academic development, making the most of the time when children are naturally most focused and receptive. After this concentrated academic time, the day flows into hands-on learning experiences such as cooking, science exploration, outdoor adventures and a monthly visit from “Travelling Stage” where imagination and movement come together to deepen understanding and joy in learning through storytelling and role-playing.
14 student to 2 teachers
At Marpole Bilingual Montessori, we offer a holistic approach to learning that draws inspiration from a variety of early childhood education philosophies. While Montessori forms the heart of our program, we thoughtfully integrate elements from other respected theories to support the development of the whole child—intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically. This well-rounded framework allows children the freedom to explore and create, while also offering the structure and guidance they need to thrive both now and in their future academic journeys. Our goal is to nurture confident, curious, and capable learners through an environment that honors multiple pathways to growth.
Learning Environment
We have taken the best of the Montessori pedagogy and built on it with 40 years of experience to create a program that ensures the best possible learning environment for children. As a result, our students graduate from our program with the ability to reach their full potential in their future academic and personal careers.
Bilingual Classroom
The bilingual environment (English & French) helps student develop lifelong critical thinking and cognitive abilities. Our alumni have given feedback that they benefited from conversing with people from all over the globe, as they now find it easier to pick up new languages. This is a vital advantage for people living and working in global cities such as Vancouver and abroad.
Our People
We are proud to have some of Vancouver’s most dedicated and highly trained Montessori and Early Childhood educators guiding our classrooms. Their expertise and passion for teaching have helped many of our students transition seamlessly into some of the city’s top private and public academic programs. We warmly invite you to visit our school, meet our teachers, and see the inspiring learning environment they create each day.
Our Community
Our school is much more than just a classroom, as we have a highly engaged and supportive community of teachers, staff, parents, students and alumni. We regularly organize events and activities that involve parents, which enhance the learning experience of each child in and out of the classroom.
The Early Years
In the following, Dr. Hughes mentions a study published in Science in 2006 by Angeline Lillard titled “The Early Years: Evaluating Montessori Education,” in which she analyzed the results of children educated in Montessori schools and non-Montessori schools. Lillard’s study highlighted benefits in academics, creativity, self-exression, language use, writing, and socialization, resulting from a Montessori education.