Pedagogical project
" From 0 to 6 years of age, not only intelligence but also all the psychic faculties are formed ".
Maria Montessori
The pedagogical approach
The school follows the objectives of the Romand Study Plan and places great importance on collaboration with parents. The teaching materials are conducive to acquiring skills that will enable each child to succeed in school and flourish.
Our learning areas :
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Reading and writing in French and English
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Mathematics is approached through manipulation playfully and naturally. The child perceives concretely what a quantity is, the decimal system, the four operations, the numbering from 1 to 1000, fractions, and abstraction.
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Geography is studied through globes, puzzle maps, and flags. They can create their word map by adding continents, countries, capitals, etc.
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Botany allows children to observe plants, their growth and their different parts. Planting is done in the classroom. Outings to Grange Park enable the children to discover plants in their natural environment.
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Music and creative arts: a piano and a specialized teacher accompany us once a week in our class to accompany songs, rhythmic lessons, and discoveries of great artists, works, trends and techniques.
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The theatre is very beneficial for exercising the child's creativity. It facilitates exchanges, reinforces self-confidence and allows us to work on emotional intelligence.
The fundamental foundations of pedagogy
The main foundations of the Montessori pedagogy adopted at the Grange Explorers School are as follows.
1. Mixed age group
Our school's true community of children is formed by this fabulous mix of ages from 3 to 6 years. These children, who are at the same stage of development, live together and complement each other. This cohabitation is an excellent source of richness because there is no competition or rivalry among them but rather cooperation within this group. Peer learning, collaboration, and altruism are fully and naturally experienced here.
2. Freedom and self-discipline
The child in his prepared environment has several freedoms: the freedom of choice, which implies a decision and independence of the child; the release of work, which depends on the will; the space of time, where he can repeat an activity as many times as he wishes, promoting concentration and perseverance; the freedom of movement allowing him to be active and to listen to his needs.
3. Science-based materials
Children learn by doing rather than by listening to an adult talk. They work with material designed to allow them to deploy all their intelligence by engaging their senses and the areas of knowledge and understanding corresponding to their stage of development.
4. One-to-one learning
Each child's experience is unique. Personalized lessons are offered to individuals or small groups. This allows for highly individualized interaction between the adult and each child. The adult knows perfectly well what each child has mastered or what he needs to practice more. The adult guides them towards ownership and responsibility for their learning.
For more information on our Charter, please refer to this document.
