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Thanks to Dr. Montessori’s radical notion of building an education environment that reflects the children’s true needs, children are now be able to listen to their own inner guide and direct themselves to purposeful activities that would assist them in their development, and have the opportunity to grow and develop to their fullest potential... |
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Child-Centered Environment
Children, a prepared environment and teachers (guide) are the three most important aspects in a Montessori environment. Everything and anything that the teachers do either in guiding the children or in preparing the environment have the children’s interest and needs at its core – “Follow the Child”.
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Children are respected as unique individuals and we believe that they possess many gifts and talents. They have the strong desire to strive for independence and the innate ability to teach themselves.
Children are free to move about, free to choose activities that meet their inner needs, free to learn and develop at his own pace and not compete against others, free to repeat as long as they wanted, and free to express themselves within a specially prepared environment. It thus allows children to explore and discover the world they are living in, to discover their own innate ability, and to help to develop a strong sense of independence, self-confidence and self-discipline.
Hence，Montessori education provides“the learning method that best suited the child”！ |
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Teachers
In our Montessori environment, teachers act as “a combination of a guardian angel with an information bureau.” They are observers which closely study and monitor the awakening of the child’s intellectual life and his/her developmental progress, and direct the child towards activities and materials which will help him/her to achieve to his/her fullest potential. |
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They act as keepers of the environment, where they carefully prepare and maintain an environment for the children to achieve their maximum growth. They are chosen for their comprehensive understanding and belief in Montessori philosophy and early childhood development, and their loving and respectful attitudes towards the children. In other words, they “follow the child”.
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Prepared Environment
Children in Buzan Montessori would work in a specially prepared environment which suits the stage of development of each of the children, and which correspond to his/her inner call of specific “sensitivities”. This special environment enables children to perform various tasks which cultivate independence, induce thinking and decision making, and |
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more importantly, a love of learning. In addition, every aspect of the curriculum and specially designed materials involve creative invention and careful analysis, and that they are being constantly modified and extended to suit the ever changing needs of the children. |
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Mixed Age Grouping
In the family, in the workplace and society as a whole, we are in constant interaction with people that are older or younger. We have therefore placed strong emphasis in creating a mixed age group environment where children could have an early opportunity to learn how to become part of, and contribute to, a group; to respect others; to work and live in this mini-society in a cohesive manner.
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Research has shown that mixed age grouping to be a preferable placement. It accommodates the child’s developmental growth rather than relying on the age as the primary indicator for readiness with receiving appropriate education. Peer cooperation and peer tutoring increases self-confidence, self-esteem and sense of achievement in both the older and younger children. The older children find themselves in a position of responsibility, and by showing younger children what they know, affirm to themselves to the extent of their learning while enhance their self-confidence and self-esteem. On the other hand, the younger children are surrounded by role models and are benefited from learning from the older children in a less pressurize environment. It thus gives them the joy and the confidence of learning. |
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Multi-Cultural Environment
At Buzan Montessori, we welcome and value diversity among our children, regardless of their ethnic, religious and socio-economic background etc. Therefore children in our school would have valuable opportunities to be exposed to children of different nationalities, religions, cultures, customs, languages etc. The close interaction among the children of different cultural background would therefore help them to come to an |
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understanding of the similarities and differences between them. It in turn helps children develop an appreciation and deep respect for these differences, and develop caring attitudes towards all mankind. |
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