Year in Review 2017: Montessori School of Lake Forest educates the ‘whole child’
January 8, 2018

By Ann Jordahl, Executive Director, Montessori School of Lake Forest
as featured in the Lake Forest Leader on January 4, 2018 
View article online

Maria Montessori conceived the method of educating the “whole child” More than 100 years ago. The Montessori School of Lake Forest has been educating the “whole child” for more than 50 years.

Educating the whole child is achieved by showing students relationships between subjects to engage their natural curiosity and love of learning. At MSLF, students may choose to pursue their Montessori education beyond their classroom walls on lessons in outdoor education, organic gardening and cooking, physical education and movement and foreign languages. MSLF’s comprehensive span of learning opportunities provide students a hands-on exploration of these relationships and curiosities, structured in a manner that not only supports but enhances the work cycle of the student.  

Students learn science, social studies, history and mathematics as well as various outdoor practical life skills while working in MSLF’s outdoor classroom, 5.5 acres of natural prairie, woodlands, wetlands and grasslands. They discover relationships between natural science and math while working in the on-campus organic garden and greenhouse, new to our campus this fall. Through experience, students develop a clear understanding of the needs of the environment and the benefits of organic gardening and composting not only for their school gardens, but the environment in general. They find value in their work as they harvest healthy fruits and vegetables straight from the garden to either cook or sell. They learn about nutrition as they prepare various recipes and practice marketing and accounting as they host Friday Market, where they sell produce fresh from the MSLF garden as well as handmade recipes and goods such as student-made pottery and embroidered tea towels, muffins, jams and soups, with proceeds benefiting the outdoor education programs at MSLF.

The Physical Education program at MSLF meets the diverse needs of all students, offering younger students additional opportunities for gross motor and coordination development, as well as older students’ development of skills and exercise through a variety of activities including obstacle course training, team sports and games, and yoga. At MSLF it is understood that intelligence is built on movement.  

MSLF’s Foreign Language lessons provides students 3 years and older with instruction in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. Not only do students learn to speak these languages, but they learn about Spanish and Chinese culture and history as well.

It is through the development of the “whole child” and the nurturing of the child’s natural love for learning that MSLF students are growing to be independent and successful citizens.

By Teresa Pavelich June 2, 2025
At MSLF, overnight trips become an important part of Montessori learning beginning in Lower Elementary. Each trip is carefully planned to meet the developmental needs of students in the second and third plane of development , with each overnight trip getting progressively longer to ease children into these independent journeys away from their families. These aren't just trips - they're carefully crafted opportunities for students to discover who they are, what they're capable of, and how they can contribute to their community and the wider world. Beginning in their first year of Lower Elementary, students take their first MSLF overnight trip to Nature’s Classroom in Wisconsin. For many Lower Elementary students, this trip represents their first nights away from home. During their trip they explore the outdoors, work together in groups, use their practical life skills during community meals, and grow! It’s this first overnight trip for MSLF students where parents and staff remark how students come back almost transformed after being able to develop their independence in a supportive environment. Our Upper Elementary classroom has embarked on overnight trips to both Camp Timber-lee in Wisconsin and The Country Experience at Amstutz Family Farm in Elizabeth, IL. Both locations provide students with increasing opportunities to apply their practical life skills, like checking the weather to ensure they have weather-appropriate gear for their trip. Every task empowers them to develop self-reliance and problem-solving skills. These trips are also opportunities for the students to get to know one another and build strong relationships with their peers and with the adults in their classroom. Adolescent Program students at MSLF have opportunities to visit both Springfield, IL and Washington, DC . These overnight trips tie directly into their studies – connecting curriculum learned in the classroom to experiences in the wider community. They often take their learning on the road, for example by watching a legislative session in action in Springfield to see which bills are passed during their trip or presenting their research papers at monuments in Washington, DC. And for these students, the skills they built on their trips in Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary are put to work, as they pack their own bags, learn more about public transportation, and plan their daily itineraries to make the most out of their visit. Experiences like these at MSLF support the child’s independence, laying the groundwork for transitions in later life: the start of high school, going away to college, a first job, and beyond. As they conquer challenges outside their comfort zone, their confidence soars, laying the foundation for the autonomy and independence they will continue to utilize throughout their Montessori experience and beyond. It’s good for parents, too, to see how truly capable our children are!
By Teresa Pavelich March 7, 2025
Forbes Article highlights mental health benefits of Montessori education