Curriculum objectives
Gulf Montessori Nurseries have a special child-centered approach which will feed children's developing skills and interests at the right times and help them to become confident, capable and in control of their world.
The School day
The beginning of the children's day should be as relaxed and unhurried as possible, either by getting organised the night before or by getting up earlier than usual. This will allow enough time to help and encourage the child to dress himself.
Activities of Everyday Living
The Activities of Everyday Living teach the children to pour their own drinks, carry trays, clean up spills and sweep, all using child size equipment. These seem normal chores for adults, but thrilling for a small child whose self - esteem blossoms with every new skill which helps him or her to feel in control of life. The children will learn to do household tasks and may feel frustrated if they are not allowed to help at home; this should be encouraged as parents will find that they will soon prove to be of great help. One may also find that the children may want to pour their own drinks out or serve their own breakfast cereal in the morning. Small changes can make a home more "child - friendly" such as, low shelves in the bedroom or playroom, so that the children have easy access to their toys and can choose them whenever they wish, or even a peg at child height, so that they can hang up their school uniforms themselves.
Literacy
To develop the children's language and vocabulary, nothing beats one to one conversation with them. They will not learn language from the television in the same way, unless those at home sit and enjoy the programme together and perhaps discuss it afterwards. If one is watching television with the children, be sure to watch the content of the programme carefully, as many children absorb a fair share of television violence and other unsavoury incidents. Uninterrupted time should be made for the children to spend with their parents during the day.
Reading & Books
In the Montessori Nursery, we try to instill a real love of books and reading for pleasure. Sharing a story with a child at any time of the day is a parent's special gift. Also, a powerful message can be given about the value of reading, if one makes time to read their own book alongside the children or child from time to time.
Numeracy & Arithmetic
Counting can be introduced into almost any activity. For example, the children could count the knives and forks when the table is being laid or when they are sharing out sweets. Parents should avoid passing on their own dislike of mathematics at school, because the children will not have the same difficulties at a Montessori Nursery, as the method is fun and interesting for the children.
Creativity
Drawing is important for helping the child strengthen his or her "pencil grip" in preparation for writing skills as well as for developing "free expression". Plenty of accessible paper, crayons and pencils should be provided and children should be encouraged to draw freely, without any interference from the adult as this could stifle their creativity. At this delicate stage, children are easily influenced because they care for the adult's opinion and they should be exploring and developing their own expressive powers.
Apparatus & Equipment
Much of the Montessori apparatus you see in our school is designed to prepare a child for reading, writing and number work. Parents should not be concerned with the lack of evidence such as homework as our equipment teaches the child both indirectly and directly through the "hands on" method. Using a different approach at home can make it unnecessarily complicated. It is therefore, best if you wait until we ask for support. We do this often and in specific ways. However, if parents do wish to support their children at home, letters should be sounded rather than named and any writing that is shared with the children, should be in lower case rather than capital letters (except of course, where a capital normally occurs).
