All hands on deck at the Montessori Workshop at our Primary School, this morning. As we near our School opening date, all our Early Years PYP Facilitators were learning and discussing about the Montessori Approach and how they can integrate this into each of their classrooms for an enriching learning experience for the younger students at Primary.
What is Montessori Approach, you ask? This is a child-centered educational approach using methods such as hands-on learning, collaborative activities and self-directed activities.
Our Facilitators sat around this morning, with the various Montessori Resources, for example, resources like number rods, addition and subtraction walls, cards and counters, spindle box, sand-paper numerals and more. All these resources are to aid the practical learning of math (concept of zero, height differences, counting) and literacy.
Facilitators also shared ideas about activities to aid the development of senses through taste and smell in young children; for example, being able to tell the difference in the taste of a piece of tomato and a spoon of honey. Their sensory development is linked to their physical, emotional and cognitive development as well, which aids their holistic learning experience.
The group discussed as to how the Montessori resources can be integrated into the everyday classroom, in their indoor and even outdoor activities, in line with the PYP Programme of Inquiry. The Facilitators even tested the resources by working with them, and coming up with newer ideas and various different activities that engages children of an early age consistently for a sound learning experience.
We are excited for the New Academic Year, and all the new collaborative experiences it brings! We’d like to imagine that you’d be too!