The children at Adra preschool start here with the 5 great stories. The learning happens with meaningful context and they happen through several mediums and activities and not just one source like a text book. Field trips, physical activities, sports, team thinking are integrated into these, and not done in a siloed manner in bits and pieces.
The children will have choices and can pursue their interests at greater depths. They will get to know the various aspects of Language, Mathematics, ‘The World of Plants’ ( Botany), ‘The World of Animals’ (Zoology), ‘The world of Man’ (Anthropology and History), The Visual Arts, Music and ‘The World Itself’ (Human and Physical Geography). One subject overlaps and flows into others as in real life and the Adra preschool in bangalore primary environment, materials and the certified teachers work as catalyst in the transformation in the children.
True development in the children happens when we allow them space to make mistakes and ability to learn from it, relating to other members in the society – school, neighbors, families leading to more balanced emotional development. Culturally the children develop grace and curtesy and social niceties. They are involved in various events and learn the significance and historical importance of festivals.
Dr. Maria Montessori had divided the overall human development cycle into several planes. Each plane has different characteristics and learning abilities, different needs and requirements.
The understanding and recognition of these, and the above human tendencies can help the parents and teachers to provide the child with an appropriate environment for different stages of growth.
It is important to recognize the needs of each plane of development. In order to facilitate a child's development, a Montessori environment offers various materials with options at the appropriate time in the proper sequence.
e.g. Preparation for writing in Montessori method starts about 8-12 months before the actual writing itself happens. To start writing first of all the muscles in the wrist and hands have to develop. For these simple activities like spooning, or pouring, using pincers, folding clothes, etc starts which also teaches them self-care. Then will use cylinder blocks related activities - lift and place knobbed cylinders in place holders using the thumb, index and middle fingers. These are the same fingers used to hold a writing instrument. (cylinder block activities also helping to improve spatial awareness) as well as using their finger muscles to navigate.
Subsequently the drawing insets (frames of different shapes giving an outline to start using pencils for colouring) will help to improve their pencil grip and movement control as well. After that they are introduced to vowels and consonants first, and use the sand paper letters for tracing. Finally writing on a slate or paper. You can see here how the activities based on materials is sequenced and is interconnected, and it is essential for the child to feel comfortable holding a writing instrument before we start writing.
The infants during the first stage acquire information solely on the basis of their senses.
This phase is self-directed and the child is an “unconscious creator” The child is unaware of the surroundings yet, starts developing a foundation to become the person he/she has to turn into. The Montessori method lets the child develop gross and fine motor skills.
The child requires:
Characteristics:
From age 3 the child starts expanding horizons and developing a consciousness. The child has an absorbent mind. Develops traits like confidence, concentration, self-awareness, self-control if an appropriate conducive environment is provided.
The child becomes aware of the surroundings and oneself, it is a new beginning for the child as a “conscious worker”. The child can interact with the surrounding environment and manoeuvre the objects deliberately. The child develops self-control and self-awareness.
The child at this stage is joyful, curious, hardworking, easily entertained, and starts to concentrate. When given the chance to develop independently and freely, we see the child’s inner potentialities, as well as personality.
The multiple lesson possibilities combined with the teacher observing the child’s desires to perform a task (as long as it is not harmful to anyone or anything), as many times as they desire, allows the child to get an inner satisfaction, out of which self-discipline and orderliness comes in much more easily than if they were being told what they could do and not do.
e.g. During this stage we cannot expect two children say with 10-11 months age difference to perform at the same level, just because they have been boxed into the same class room due to some dogmatic volume based reasoning of our educational system.
Intellectual growth as the child is able to open up and explore new opportunities to broaden their horizons.
The Montessori method during this stage promotes a curriculum that facilitates:
What the child requires at this stage: