Learning Steps Montessori Nursery (Sabah Al Salem)

The first few years of a child's development are crucial in deciding his/her future. At Learning Steps we provide the right environment that every child deserves for overall balanced development. We believe every child is unique and each one of them grow physically and mentally at his/her own pace.

At the Learning Steps Montessori Nursery we are proud to offer a complete series of genuine Montessori learning materials. We are committed to offering a rich and varied program that remains true to the methods and concepts developed by Maria Montessori. Our classrooms are full of happy children who are doing the activities that they want to do - activities that have been observed for more than 100 years as the things that all children like to do, and that help children to grow, mature and become active participants in life.

As well, we offer supplementary group activities in art, music and storytelling. These activities enrich the creative and imaginative horizon of a child's mind and foster self-expression, communication and the spirit of working together. The Learning Steps Montessori Nursery prides itself on incorporating the 9 characteristics of an authentic Montessori Nursery:

• Child Centered Environment our focus is on children learning within small groups or individually.
• Focus on Individual Progress and Development - each child is viewed as unique and proceeds at his own pace.
• Spontaneous Activity children are encouraged to move about freely and explore their surroundings within clearly defined limits.
• Freedom Within Boundaries the children enjoy freedom of choice within the clearly defined ground rules set by our teachers within the classroom
• Active Learning the curriculum selects subjects which interest the child, are of academic importance and aimed at long-term progress. Students may choose to work with material that may take weeks or months to master and then are encouraged to share their knowledge with the other students.
• Self-Directed Activity the children are encouraged to master things on their own. They are encouraged to put on and take off their own shoes, put their own papers away, put away their materials, and to make choices on their own. By fostering their independence they become more self-directed.
• Responsive Prepared Environment our environment meets the needs of the children. Small tables and, chairs, shelves placed at the children's level so they can explore and master their environment. We choose materials based on the abilities of the children in our group and change them frequently to stimulate their minds.

The goal of our Montessori program is to encourage children to become mature capable adults who have the ability to create, learn and communicate ideas - to fully participate in whatever their future holds.

Baby minds are precious gifts entrusted to caregivers for developing. Only in the security of a warm and nurturing relationship and a richly stimulated environment will a child become all he can be. The brain is built of billions of cells called neurons. Each neuron has extensions or dendrites, which branch out to make connections with each other. These connections are called synapses. This is what allows all brain activity such as language, thought process, motor control, etc. Synapses are the wiring system of the brain.