Philosophy Montessori Educare The work of Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952) is the foundation upon which the philosophy of Montessori Educare is built. As passionate educators, we empower children to develop a healthy self-image through the nurturing of their physical, emotional, social, spiritual and cognitive needs. The children’s self esteem grows in a positive environment where we sincerely care and recognise that each child and their whanau is unique and bring with them diverse knowledge, understandings and needs. The children’s innate love of learning is encouraged and we understand the importance of support and compassion in preparing them for life. We show the utmost respect for all children by offering them the freedom to learn at their own pace according to their own interests within a structured setting. We prepare everything within the environment with only the child in mind and ensure they have access to everything they need without having to wait for adult help. Not only do we advocate child independence but we also promote an atmosphere that encourages social interaction for cooperative learning and peer-teaching. Children learn to respect and celebrate each other’s efforts and to take care not only of themselves, but of others and their environment. As trained professional, we have complete confidence that the materials and activities provided within Montessori Educare’s programme will facilitate each child to reach their fullest potential. The Montessori classroom is a prepared environment in which children explore and make discoveries. It is a warm and inviting place, filled with beautiful and thoughtfully designed learning materials that capture the child’s interest. As children choose, explore and engage with the learning materials, they develop character traits such as independence, perseverance, responsibility and self-discipline, as well as cognitive skills such as problem solving, classification and logical thinking. The teacher will present materials to individual children in a clear and precise way that enables the child to understand the initial purpose of the material. The child then has the opportunity to investigate and work independently. The role of the Montessori teacher is one of mentoring and facilitating the learning process. She “follows the child” – carefully observing the child at work and responding to the changing needs and interests of each unique individual. The Montessori class is a mixed age group, covering a three year span, and forming a supportive community of learners who grow to know each other very well. There is an emphasis on respect – for each other, our environment, and ourselves. The objectives of a Montessori school include –
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