20 Nov 2018Choosing a centre to care for your baby when you go back to work is not an easy decision. Many first-time parents are not used to a lot of noise around the house from other children, and so they look for a quiet and calm environment with nurturing carers. Unfortunately, their first impressions of day care centers are not always good. Many centers are cramped, noisy, and the chaos of too much colour or clutter is typically overwhelming.
Dr. Maria Montessori (Italy’s first female physician) was an expert in child pedagogy. She recognized that children need uncluttered space – freedom of movement – so that they can roll over, sit up, crawl & walk when they are ready to do so. Montessori classrooms facilitate freedom of movement, exploration, and activities to encourage gross motor skills. Additionally, the baby rooms are designed to facilitate stimulation of the senses with natural materials, they are not cluttered or chaotic, and they are peaceful.
Maria Montessori recognized that children thrive on routines and order, and that they develop in their own time frames. She discovered that children have sensitive periods in their life and at these times, they more readily absorb information (e.g. language & movement). Montessori teachers therefore provide activities that are relevant to the individual child’s interests so that by stimulating their interest, children learn concepts quickly and are then thirsty for more knowledge.
Dr. Montessori also identified that to raise independent children, one should “never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.” As a policy, we therefore allow our toddlers to walk for themselves once they are able to do so, rather than carrying them around all day, every day. At Fountain City Montessori, we focus on relationships and so each baby has a primary carer so that you have one person to communicate with about your child’s daily routine.
Every Montessori pre-school has a different personality and not all Montessori centers cater to under two year olds. But if Montessori sounds like it is up your alley, don’t wait to visit your local centre – spaces are always limited!
