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Curious about what makes Montessori schools different, mama? Here are five areas of the Montessori approach that make a big impact on kids’ lives
The Montessori Method is famous the world over for its unique approach to education, and Singapore is no exception with dozens of Montessori schools across the island (check out our Ultimate Guide to Montessoris in Singapore for more, mama!). Brighton Montessori is one of the biggest and most popular Montessori networks in Singapore, and at the heart of their success is their dedication to Montessori’s core principles and five crucial areas of development: Sensorial, Practical Life, Language, Mathematics, and Culture.
These five core principles don’t just help develop a child academically, they also give them important life skills. For instance, through Montessori’s famous, specially-designed “Materials”, children are able to grasp abstract concepts through a tangible, hands-on approach using concrete objects.
In a Montessori environment, children are given the freedom to choose which material they want to work with, and direct their own learning at their own pace. This helps them develop independence, discipline, and a love of learning that instills confidence in school and later in life.
Here are 5 materials used at Brighton Montessori that exemplify the Montessori curriculum:
- Pouring Grains (Practical Life)
Ages: 2 – 3
What: Children practice pouring dried lentils from one jug to another using both hands.
Why: Development of motor skills and a way to practice day-to-day activities.
Indirect learning outcomes: Learning how to pick up spilled lentils and gaining independence by cleaning up after oneself.
- The Pink Tower (Sensorial)
Ages: 3 – 4
What: A tower made up of pink blocks of diffferent sizes that are stacked one on top of another, with the largest at the bottom and the smallest on top.
Why: Refinement of hand-eye coordination and learning to visually differentiate sizes.
Indirect learning outcomes: Develop the ability to focus and self-correct when they make mistakes.
- Sandpaper Letters (Language)
Ages: 3 – 4
What: Children trace and pronounce the sounds of letters made from sandpaper mounted on pink and blue boards.
Why: Using all 3 senses of sight, hearing and touch to analyse and explore language as graphic symbols, and to be able to reproduce it in preparation for reading and writing.
Indirect learning outcomes: A child learns to work independently and explore different options until they are able to form a word on their own. They recognise symbols not through rote learning, but through an enjoyable, hands-on approach.
- Golden Beads (Mathematics)
Ages: 4 – 4.5
What: Golden beads are organised into a visual representation of ones (single units), tens (in bars), hundreds (a 2-dimensional square) and thousands (a 3-dimensional block)
Why: To introduce a child to the decimal system, and to understand the difference of quantity between ones, tens, hundreds and thousands.
Indirect learning outcomes: Enables a child to grasp the abstract concept of units in a visual and tangible way.
- Painted Globe (Culture)
Ages: 3.5 – 4
What: A painted globe used to describe and locate the different continents in the world.
Why: Help a child identify and remember the different continents in the world, and be able to differentiate between oceans and continents.
Indirect learning outcomes: Learning about the diverse cultures and people that make up the world.
Want to find out more, mama? Be sure to check out Brighton’s newest centre at Sixth Avenue in Bukit Timah and let your little ones try out the Montessori materials for themselves! They’ll get to interact with the school’s Montessori-trained educators and you can experience benefits of the Montessori method firsthand! What’s more, enrol before 31 August and you can enjoy 50% off registration fees and a free starter kit. Talk about getting your education journey off on the right foot!
All the details!
Where: Brighton Montessori, 35 Lotus Avenue, Singapore 277618
When: Saturday, 13 August, 10am to 3pm
How much: FREE!
RSVP: Register here!
