Waikato Montessori Education Centre

The Montessori approach assumes that we are all born intelligent, we simply learn in different ways and progress at our own individual pace. At Waikato Montessori Education Centre children learn through hands-on experience and investigation. A complete Montessori curriculum is provided in a calm, respectful environment.

We respect that an important responsibility parents have, is to make decisions to determine the best environment in which to place their child at this most sensitive time in their development.

The values and experiences presented to the child now will have the greatest influence on shaping their character as an adult. Everything they are exposed to will create an impression in their mind and Montessori supports this in the most positive way.

We aim to support parents in this decision-making role with an offering geared to the development of your child’s natural human tendencies and developing characteristics.

We are committed to developing an educational experience you and your child will cherish forever. One that prepares your child fully for their future; where your child’s unique talents are awakened and nurtured; where you feel involved and your contribution is valued. This Montessori Centre will deliver lasting value for you and your child, throughout the Waikato and Hamilton community. We have researched approaches in Montessori schools for a number of years, both in New Zealand and internationally. At this time we believe we have created a Montessori programme which will demonstrate how Montessori is unique in the world of education, how Montessori deals holistically with developmental stages and places no limits on
a child’s potential in any area.

Using good judgement and being able to take responsibility for our choices is a skill that is developed by experience and is one of the fundamental principles that is embedded in all our programmes, even from 3 years old. Our approach to life and our personality is developed at such a young age; our Montessori programmes are here to support the growth in academic and authentic character development through all these childhood years.

Children are grouped in 3 year age spans. There is constant interaction, problem solving, child-to-child teaching, and socialisation. Each age range has a specific learning environment prepared with materials and trained adults focused on the child’s developmental needs for self-construction.

Our 2–6 years programme supports the development of the child as an individual. Assisting the child with age-appropriate qualities and facts about their world.

Our 6–12 years programme extends the development of the intellect within the social community of the class room.An integrated curriculum is delivered to support the child’s growing ‘reasoning mind’.

Children completing the full programme are naturally transformed as unique individuals fully prepared for the next step in their educational journey.

Refinement of the senses is encouraged with activities to isolate visual discrimination, identify tastes and smells, develop a lightness of touch and listening skills to associate sounds to objects. Beautifully crafted materials are used for each activity and these often lead into a math or science activity at a later point in the programme. The 2-6 year child is absorbing everything from the environment sensorially and in an almost unconscious manner. An appreciation for different styles of music is introduced by having soft background instrumental music playing during the day. Each day children come together for a short group song time where rhythm and actions are introduced.

Both receptive and expressive language are developed through engaging children in conversation, telling stories, listening to them and encouraging self-expression. This is all done through numerous games and activities throughout the classroom. The development of writing involves two distinct processes: motoric or mechanical development (muscular and physical skills) and intellectual development (understanding of a symbol or letter representing sounds in words). The child’s work in the Montessori classroom involves activities to develop both these processes. Children who experience a full Montessori programme generally make amazing progress in the development of reading and writing. Typically they have advanced vocabulary, use of language and can undertake simple research projects and creative storytelling.

Nourishing the development of the ‘mathematical mind’ is the place of the Montessori classroom. Montessori math materials introduce children to quantities and how to write the symbols for numbers. This quickly moves from counting to building numbers within the Decimal System and using numbers for mathematical operations. The Montessori materials and curriculum inspire children to;

• Think logically, investigate and measure;
• Use analysis, comparison, calculation and reasoning.
• In Montessori we aim to make mathematics exciting and fun.

Children are very interested in people and animals from around the world. We encourage this by introducing them to the continents and countries of the world, the foods, flags, traditional dress, types of houses and transport, art and music, plants and animal life. Our own beautiful environment gives children an early exposure to nature and we hope to create a reverence for life and a style of living which consciously makes an effort to conserve our natural resources and ecology.

Our model of the 2-6 years programme fosters a love of learning, independence, curiosity, confidence, responsibility, self-discipline and respect. It is a transformational experience for children which truly prepares them for the intellectual journey of the 6-12 years period.

We ­are prepa­ring ­and building the found­ation for a­ thinking ­and r­ationa­l huma­n being. Our a­bility to think is wha­t defines us a­s huma­ns. We c­an think ­and reflect, we can ima­gine into
the future.

It is the responsibility of the First Pl­ane (0-6 yea­rs) to build ­a solid founda­tion for th­at growing being before he or she comes to the Second Pl­ane (6-12 yea­rs). In the Second Pl­ane the child ca­n only build upon wha­t w­as ­accomplished in the First Pla­ne.