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montessori
The Montessori philosophy is an approach to early childhood education that emphasizes independence, hands-on learning, and respect for a child’s natural development. Developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, it’s based on the idea that children learn best when they are free to explore at their own pace in a thoughtfully prepared environment. As the country’s first female doctor, she based her approach on observing how children naturally learn. Her 'prepared environment' was designed to harness a child’s ability to teach themselves using hands-on materials that make abstract concepts concrete. Rather than direct instruction, Montessori encourages self-directed activity with carefully designed materials that foster concentration, problem-solving, and a love of learning. It supports the whole child—intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically—by nurturing curiosity and confidence from the very beginning.
montessori in action
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Practical Life Skills: Provide foundations for learning centred around; (1) Care for the environment, (2) Care for oneself as an individual (3) Care for others in the community.
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Education of the Senses: By observing, understanding and exploring the world through their senses children learn how to classify, discriminate, evaluate and sequence.
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Language Development: Develop the four aspects of language – spoken language, listening, writing and reading. Self-expression and communication are vital elements of all four. Reading is learned phonetically.
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Number Concepts: Provide a concrete understanding of the concepts of number and mathematics.
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Science and Exploration of the Wider World: Provide experiences of plant and animal kingdoms, people, events and cultures.
