School Ethos
To offer Montessori nursery education for 1–5-year-olds where children “are helped to help themselves in a fun and loving environment – to maximise their potentials”; and where the Children, their Parents and Staff have a bond of shared values and experiences.
How school provides the ideal environment & resources
At Harmony Montessori nursery school we fully recognise & leverage the explicit concept that – the learning and development powers and potentials lies with the child. Therefore the child is the best director for his/her development.
The task of the adult is not so much to teach the child as to actively provide him/her with an environment in which the child is able to direct his/her own development and fulfil their needs.
The school provides access to materials, activities and social situations that meets the child’s needs and provides opportunities and freedom for them to be able to make choices and support those developmental needs.
The environment is prepared with objects and activities that respond to all of a child developmental needs e.g. co-ordination of movement, independence, refinement of sensory perception, exploration, development of social behaviour communication and so on.
Goal for children
“The things the child sees, are not just remembered, they form a part of their soul”, Maria Montessori
The development of a human being from a single cell to a conscious adult mirrors the evolution of life itself. All new born children have within them these powers to develop and adapt themselves to their particular place and time. As a result, the whole concept of education changes.
“Early childhood learning (education) is not to fill the child with facts from pre-selected course of studies but rather to cultivate their own natural desire to learn”, Maria Montessori.
What children get out of school
Child is “hungry” to explore the world. The Adult brings the world to the child through – materials & activities that offer Sensorial experiences…….and NOT through lessons or discussions. The children learn to solve problems through these “activities”:
- They learn as they “explore”.
- They build up ideas, concepts and skills.
In our prepared environments, consistency and dependability are the norm. Each activity has its place and carried out in an orderly, relaxed manner. Children are given ample time and space to explore and work at their own pace and in their own learning style.
Activities & experiences give encouragement to independence, involvement & risk-taking. Children learn through active engagement with meaningful, multi-sensory materials.
As children make appropriate choices and get involved in their work, they acquire a positive attitude towards learning. The child is given freedom to work with an activity on his own to play a game with the friend to watch and observe others.
While learning is hard work, it’s also immensely satisfying and great fun.
The only limit on the child’s behaviour is to respect the right of others to practice their activity undisturbed. Such freedom, limited only by a loving respect for others, sets the tone for a secure emotional environment.
Learning structure
Planning, is based on observations of each child individually. The observations are assessed / documented according to comprehensive developmental categories that deliver a flexible plan. Each child’s development plan is NOT formulated or executed through a generic educational curriculum.
The 3 stage concept of learning comprises of a Pattern of – ‘Introduction, Experience, Application’ – which is applied across whole curriculum, across group of activities and within individual lessons.
“Early childhood learning (education) is not to fill the child with facts from pre-selected course of studies but rather to cultivate their own natural desire to learn”, Maria Montessori.
