How do I set up my home to help my child - from birth? To become independent at home? How do Foundation Groups help? What sorts of things will my child be learning and how can this structure support their socio-emotional development?

The Practical Life activities are crucial to the development of the child in the Casa dei Bambini classroom. As the very first area explored in the classroom, the child is immediately invited to contribute to his new community by engaging in meaningful work through everyday materials and tasks. The child is familiar with these materials from his home but now they are the right size for his hands and the right height for his body!

Mathematics is part of the child’s world. It is not just about counting or mastering the tricks of addition or multiplication. Mathematics is about ideas.

During the sensitive period for language (ages 0-6) when the mind absorbs the sounds, words, and grammar of the environment effortlessly, the child is innately driven to make meaningful connections to the objects and people around him, to communicate his needs, and to describe his thoughts and feelings.

During the Elementary years, ages 6 to 12, the child has an intense need to understand their place in the universe. In order to help them satisfy this curiosity and provoke further questions for the children to investigate, we tell them the greatest story of all – the story of the origins of the universe and the formation of the stars, planets, the sun, and the Earth.

Montessori Language Arts: The Story Of Communication In Signs And Introduction To Writing

We believe that children are naturally born with the inner directive to meet their own needs and to learn. Our goal as Montessori educators is to embrace this innate drive by providing optimal learning environments for our bright, engaged, and inquisitive students. Regardless of developmental stage, the opportunity to choose your own activity, to move and work freely within the ground rules, and to work for long blocks of time without interruption are fundamental elements of learning the Montessori way. The Montessori education method was developed over years of research in classrooms, discovering how children learned and developed. The Montessori curriculum is customised to meet the developmental needs of the child each step of the way. Your child has the opportunity to explore their own passions, while being guided to develop the needed skills which sets them up for success later in life!

At IMS, the children are completely immersed in a truly dual-language Montessori environment. Each classroom is guided by two teachers, one a Putonghua-speaker and one an English-speaker who exclusively speak their native language to the children. The children are exposed to speaking, listening, reading and writing from the earliest ages in both English and Chinese, very naturally. Children are constantly picking up new vocabulary from their teacher and their peers in both languages. In the Elementary programme, children attend separate small group Chinese lessons based on their ability. These lessons allow them to learn new vocabulary and skills to reinforce later in their dual-language classroom.

Children are born with the inner directive to meet their own needs and to learn. Regardless of developmental stage, the opportunity to choose your own activity, to move and work freely within the ground rules, and to work for long blocks of time without interruption assures motivated learning, extending curiosity and creativity. This is learning the Montessori way.