Enthusiastically, each child works on something different. The work ranges from reading stories in the book corner, cutting and pasting pictures, building and re-building a tower, placing counters next to number symbols from 1-10.
I could go on and on ... after spending just one morning with a recent graduate from ELF Montessori at Jo’s school where she is a directress. I was amazed to see Shanaaz ---it’s as if she has been in the environment for years and not just since the beginning of 2012. The implementation of the philosophy oozes from her as naturally as the children come to her for a hug, or to share a story.
Thanks to Shanaaz and Yvonne (the founder of the school), I was able to spend a morning there observing their inclusive, multi-lingual classroom in action. Jo’s school provides the community of Vrygrond with a Montessori Pre-Primary programme. This community has suffered the ill-effects of apartheid and continue to live in poverty, where the unemployment and illiteracy rates are high, the education offered is of a poor quality and alcoholism is rife.
The class environment has children with special needs ranging from emotional trauma, Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and HIV/Aids.
But for four year old Sibongile, and three year old Liesel this school is their safe haven, where they can socialise and work with their peers. This environment ensures that it offers them the safe, comforting space in which their holistic development can occur.
Seeing this, brought to mind something I read, by Maria Montessori about how children learn:
“Supposing I said there was a planet without schools or teachers, where study was unknown, and yet the inhabitants—doing nothing but living and walking about—came to know all things, to carry in their minds the whole of learning; would you not think I was romancing? Well, just this, which seems so fanciful as to be nothing but the invention of a fertile imagination, is a reality. It is the child's way of learning. This is the path he follows. He learns everything without knowing he is learning it, and in doing so he passes little by little from the unconscious to the conscious, treading always in the paths of joy and love. —Dr. Maria Montessori, MD
