Our school adopts the Montessori philosophy in the preschool and primary school arena. We follow the North American Montessori Curriculum for the Pre-Primary. The Cambridge International Curriculum gets introduced in Grade 1 through the Cambrilearn system. Mathematics, English and Science is done on the Cambridge curriculum, although Montessori equipment is still used to solidify and make concepts concrete. The rest of the subjects in Primary School are done using the North American Montessori Curriculum.
Cambridge is an internationally recognised curriculum.
The Montessori Primary Model has been proven to be highly effective in achieving high academic success with students, even non-academic candidates, due to the the concrete nature of work, connecting their heart, hands and brain.
The Montessori approach is designed to serve the intellectual, social, and emotional needs of children through:
• Addressing the needs of the whole child within a culture of respect
• Supporting children in following their own paths of interest
• Challenging every student to achieve their full potential
• Nurturing the magical joy and curiosity of childhood
We create an environment where students can enjoy excellent quality education and be exposed to technology and real-world scenarios to prepare them for life and living. It is of utmost importance to us that students get treated with respect and high expectations; that teachers are guides that support and encourage and help students reach their highest potential.
We want our students to be creative problem solving individuals who can think critically and expansively.
What makes Montessori an excellent system:
Recognition of different learning styles
It has been proven over the past 20 years that Public Education does not lend itself to the learning methods of many children.
It is so rigid that many bright children are labeled as having learning disabilities for physical ailments (such as eyesight problems) as well as mental ones (such as dyslexia).
As we learn more about children with unique brains, such as those with autism and hyperactivity disorders, it becomes more and more common that it’s not the children who are the problem — it’s the rigid teaching style of traditional schools.
One aspect of learning that Maria Montessori was ahead of her time with was the idea that different children will learn in different ways, and that they will be the ones to inform the teachers about the best way in which they can learn.
A class with 10 students will require 10 different teaching methods that are specifically tailored by the teacher. This recognition of different learning styles is something that has benefited the growth of Montessori schools for decades around the world.
Learn to learn
Because there are so many different ways of learning (as many as there are kids!) more and more people are realising that it’s a good idea to give children the opportunity to find out the best way that they absorb information.
Montessori excels at this, allowing children to explore the classroom so that they can, for lack of a better term, learn to learn. Teachers will recognize how each child is learning and guide them toward the best way to make use of their particular style.
Class sizes
In a traditional classroom, there’s the one curriculum that is being taught. Since there’s just “one way to learn it,” a child who doesn’t absorb the information can often be left behind. And since there are bound to be more than a few children who are left behind, a large class size is actually a detriment because a single teacher isn’t able to help those children catch up.
That’s what makes the small class sizes in Montessori schools so appealing to many parents and their children. The small class sizes mean that each child is getting the attention they need. When they have questions, our teachers are there to answer them.
Rise of small private schools
As those who create private schools are looking for better methods to teach children, it’s no surprise that one of the most commonly considered is the Montessori method. With so many years of research and success behind it, Montessori schools are growing as a type of public education. In fact, there are now roughly 450 public schools in the United States alone that use Montessori’s teachings.
Parents want the best for their children, and when those children come home from a Montessori preschool or daycare and are excited about going back the next day, it’s pretty obvious that the Montessori method is giving their growing minds exactly what they need.