About us
MONTESSORI PHILOSOPHY
We follow the Montessori philosophy of education. The Montessori philosophy places its emphasis on educating the whole being of the child. Dr. Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952), an Italian physician, formulated this method.
In 1907 Dr. Maria Montessori established a classroom in Rome for children left unattended while their parents worked as day labourers.
Within a very short time this classroom became famous around the world because these children, with apparently so few prospects, very quickly became socially and intellectually independent, not through adult coercion, but through their own activity, interest and effort.
The learning environment designed by Dr. Montessori to enable these children to achieve their potential in such a joyful way was the culmination of years of study and innovation in the fields of medicine, psychology and anthropology.
Building on the success of that first classroom, over the last hundred years Montessori educators all over the world have continued to observe and study children and young people, and to design learning materials and environments carefully tailored to their developing interests and needs.
This method allows the child to learn in total free play using special materials and equipment through the medium of a carefully prepared environment. The child is allowed to develop at his own pace, thus gaining independence and self-confidence as his day to day skills improves.
Our Approach
The Montessori Method
The Montessori Method is a proven and well-established educational approach that is fundamentally different from traditional teaching methods. It uses a child-centered approach to help children develop to their full potential, by providing them with an environment prepared for self-directed learning coupled with personal guidance from specially trained teachers.
How Children Learn
Children have a natural tendency to work. From birth to age six, they are sensorial explorers, constructing their intellects by absorbing every aspect of their environment, their language and their culture with all five senses. Then from age six to twelve, they become conceptual explorers. They develop their powers of abstraction and imagination, and apply their knowledge to discover and expand their worlds further. The Montessori Method works by taking advantage of the unique sensitivities and capacities at each stage of development.
The Prepared Environment
The Montessori classroom provides a prepared environment where children are given the opportunity to respond to their natural tendency to work. The learning materials are specifically designed to help them explore their world and develop essential cognitive skills. Children work freely at their own pace, and in the process develop self-confidence, inner discipline and a joy of learning, free from peer competition. The mixed-age setting also encourages children to develop their personalities socially and intellectually at their own pace.
The Montessori Teacher
The Montessori teacher plays a supportive but important role in the classroom. The teacher observes, guides and encourages children on a one-to-one basis. This is not done randomly as it might appear to the occasional visitor. Knowing how to observe constructively, and when and how to intervene is a special skill that the Montessori teacher has acquired through vigorous training. Where needed, the teacher would intervene enough to help the child along, but not so much as to stifle the child’s innate passion to explore on his/her own. Naturally, a younger child would need more guidance, and as the child develops less guidance would be needed.
