Why Montessori Education is special…
In a Montessori nursery school, children are treated respectfully as unique individuals. Their social and emotional development is essential to their education. Emphasis is not on what is to be learnt but how. Children are naturally interested in the world around them, they choose what to learn and at Dove Tree we help them to find the best way of learning. Our trained teachers guide them in using their own abilities and with specially designed Montessori materials.
The Montessori Philosophy
The Montessori approach follows each child’s different learning styles and is carefully structured to allow your child to develop at their own pace.
Children are not afraid of making mistakes. They are encouraged to see them as natural steps in the learning process. Within this culture they enjoy challenges and gain a sense of perseverance.
The focus is on enjoying learning and feeling satisfied at carrying out their tasks. Being satisfied in doing the actual task means that reward is unnecessary. Likewise, sanctions are obsolete. The quickest way to restore good behaviour is to give them something satisfying to do. We always stop unwanted behaviour but then shift the focus to positive activities. Children work on self-chosen tasks and team up on bigger projects, they are encouraged to strive for their personal best, or for the good of all, rather than competing against each other.
Children learn through hands-on experience, investigating and questioning. We encourage active learning and do not passively feed them information. The teacher aims to facilitate a child’s independent discovery rather than giving instruction. The value of learning is in the way it is applied. When children recognise the usefulness of what they learn, they come to enjoy learning.
About Maria Montessori
Born in Italy in 1870, Maria Montessori was the first female Doctor of Medicine in her country. Through her work with socially deprived and special needs children she devised a unique method of education known as the Montessori method. She found through further study, observation and experiments that her principles applied to all children. The Montessori methods has had an impact on education in general and many countries adopted them. Her insights and ideas for helping children grow into healthy, well-rounded adults are as relevant as ever.
Curriculum Areas
Activities of Everyday Living
The very first activities children do in a Montessori classroom helps to develop their ability to look after themselves and their surroundings. It is with this in mind that children are introduced to practical life at around two years old. Our aim is to introduce fundamental skills such as pouring, threading, transferring and polishing as well as an appreciation of the environment and a consideration of all things within. Our aim is that these activities will help children develop their co-ordination and concentration, and to gain confidence and independence in preparation for future progress.
Sensorial
The sensorial equipment has been specially designed to help the child refine and develop the use of their senses. This will help children understand concepts within the environment, e.g. colour, temperature, size and dimensions. Due to the nature of the equipment your child is also preparing for reading, writing and arithmetic.
Language
This begins by first combining the sound, shape and visual appearance of the letter. The child then starts to build 3 letter phonic words followed by reading. The child progresses to longer words with the common spelling patterns known as phonograms. Writing skills are learned by colouring intricate shapes drawn with insets, and sandpaper letters are experienced by touch as well as by sight and sound. A wide range of both story and reference books are always available in the classroom.
Mathematics
We start by introducing numbers combining the sound, shape and visual appearance of the symbol together with the quantity. We work from simple to complex, reinforcing the child’s existing knowledge and then moving onto new concepts e.g. simple sums, sets and time.
Knowledge and Understanding the World
We maintain a global outlook on these subjects, helping the child to understand how they fit into their environmental geographical, historical and cultural makeup of the world. Projects are opportunities for group learning activities, and are based on various themes planned carefully by our qualified and experienced staff.
We like parents to be very much involved in the nursery and find that cultural subjects provide an excellent opportunity for parents share your experiences and knowledge with your child.
Creativity
These include arts and craft, enhancing the development of the imaginative and expressive skills. Various media and mark making activities are freely available for the child to use throughout the day. We use both indoor and outdoor block play with small groups of children, to foster their imagination, problem solving skills and extend their language and thinking skills. We also have a variety of extra-curricular visits, for example ‘Jo-Jingles’ a music and rhythm session aimed at helping children become confident and expressive.
If you would like a prospectus, please email stockport@hazel-tree.uk
