A casa classroom at Meadow Park feels very different from a traditional Early Childhood Development Centre. Rather than placing a teacher or supervisor at the centre, here you’ll find students directing their own activities and learning from one another.
Montessori is both an educational philosophy and a vision of childhood. We recognize the power of each child and respect individual patterns of growth. At Meadow Park, the physical surroundings, the learning methods and the ways in which students interact with one another are choreographed to create an environment in which children can discover their unique relationship to the world.
At Meadow Park Montessori we believe independent choice and authentic interest are key elements in learning. With each learning activity based on the needs and interests of the children, they develop independence and the ability to make good choices early on.
As Montessori educators, we believe that children learn by doing and are lovers of purposeful work, spontaneously chosen and carried out with profound joy.
The philosophy of a Montessori Education is that a child learns best within a social environment, which supports each individual’s unique development. Montessori programs look at a child’s intelligence as a fertile field that has limitless boundaries. It believes in the approach that the child will have an accelerated growth if he/she is allowed to explore their imaginations by providing a favourable environment that acts as a stimulant for their growth.
Each Montessori class differs from the traditional schoolroom setting and operates on the principle of freedom within limits. In a multi-age grouping, children are free to work at their own pace with materials they have chosen, either alone or with others.
Through observation a teacher determines when new activities and materials may be introduced to an individual child or to a small or large group. By encouraging self-directed learning, individual mastery of tasks can be balanced with group collaboration.
The main issue under consideration in a typical Montessori program is that children should not have education thrust on them, but should be encouraged to learn, as per their own unique styles which are best suited for their pace of development.