West End Montessori Pre-School

Extra Activities

Music and movement, languages, art and cooking will be co-ordinated throughout the week.

Project work will cover subjects such as geography, history, nature and current affairs in an impressionistic way. Social skills and appropriate ways of interacting will also flourish within our classroom community.

How you can prepare your child

As parents, preparing your child for the transition from home life to the pre-school can be quite an event.

Feeling secure and confident comes from you. Encourage your child, invite them to tackle and deal with “real” things, this is what children really want. Being driven to seek out experiences will enable them to become progressively more independent and self sufficient.

Let them help you to wash and dry the dishes, sweep the floor, peel potatoes, make pastry, dust the furniture, dress themselves, comb their hair and so on.

Never mind if they break a cup or put their shoes on the wrong feet, it is the process that is the important part. Children are not and never will be “little adults”, they live in a world apart from us and we are privileged to be allowed to glimpse. The broken cup acts in Montessori as the “control of error” and it is this that is built into much of the Montessori equipment, so that children see for themselves if something needs correcting. This avoids the loss of motivation and self-esteem which occurs when a child is told “that’s wrong!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From our Shared Vision

At the West End Montessori Pre-school we strive to offer a balance of activities to all the children in our care. Through GIRFEC we aim to present each child with the opportunity to develop and fulfil his or her own potential.

We work towards providing an environment that will stimulate and enrich each child’s senses and so encourage a positive attitude towards life long learning.

We will positively promote equality and respect for all.

We will provide an environment that encourages and supports exploration and independent learning.

We will be aware and attentive to the holistic needs of our children and the sensitive periods of development.

We will promote and support continuous development for staff.

We will give support to one another and promote a positive ethos of achievement for all.

We will provide a nurturing, safe and caring environment.

We will monitor and self-evaluate annually.

We will always do our best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Practical Life

Montessori recognised that from the age of 18 months a child works and learns naturally through using his or her hands. In the classroom, the first exercises introduced are “practical life”. They consist of simple and familiar materials which a child works with manually to help promote a sense of order, concentration, and self discipline. Through theses activities, mental and physical co-ordination become more controlled and gross fine motor skills are developed.

Sensorial Activities

When Children are ready, they are introduced to the “sensorial activities”. These are a progressive series of activities which help educate and refine each of the five senses. The sensorial activities are grouped together according to some physical quality they have in common such as shapes, size, sound and so forth. Each piece of material appeals to a different sense. As the exercises become more advanced and the child’s intellect develops, one sense helps stimulate another.

Cultural

History, Geography and Science are brought together under the heading “the cultural subjects”. The children are taught in a practical way and have the opportunity to discover and explore for themselves using specific materials which guide them through each activity.

All religions and festivals are celebrated through stories, arts/crafts, song and dance, language and cuisine,

Language and Mathematics

The method of teaching reading and writing is naturally incorporated into the Montessori curriculum. A wide variety of graded materials and exercises provides a solid foundation in each of these core subjects. The Montessori education provides the child with a deeper understanding of each subject through independent work and using practical materials in an environment that is prepared just for the child.