School Environment
RSMS offers a wide range of facilities which nurture the optimum development of each and every child according to the Dr. Maria method of education.
Within our carefully prepare environment we provide activities which foster all aspect of child’s development– emotional, intellectual, physical, social encouraging independence, self confidence and discipline.
The Prepared Environment:
A key component of the Montessori Method is "the prepared environment". Originally, it was created by Maria Montessori in response to what children themselves preferred. It is a place where the children can feel at home and where all the participants are actively and purposely involved. Above all, it is calm and peaceful, and this is perhaps its most striking feature and the way in which it differs most from other school groups.
Other distinguishing features are:
Everything is the right size for the children - tables, chairs, shelves, as well as the tools and implements used by them. This gives freedom and comfort.
Everything is within reach of the children. The shelves are open and low-level, and there should be a low-level sink in the classroom for washing up, low level pegs for clothes, and low level toilet facilities. This gives the children physical freedom and helps them achieve independence. Because they can also select and help themselves to an activity, it also gives them mental freedom.
Everything is orderly and tidy. The room is arranged into different areas: practical life exercises, sensorial exercises, mathematical materials, the language corner with books and reading and writing materials as well as cultural and environmental materials.
There is also a quiet, carpeted corner with soft cushions or low level, comfortable seats for the children to withdraw and perhaps look at picture books or read.
Everything has a place in the classroom and it is always put back correctly by the last person using it. These aspects give children a feeling of security.
There is simplicity and beauty about the environment. The colors are cheerful and pleasant and there are attractive and interesting pictures on the walls. The room is light and airy and, of course, safe. Everything is well cared for and welcoming.
In preparing the environment, the teacher pays attention to the five senses - what will the children see, hear, touch, smell and taste? The child's 'absorbent mind' is strongly impressed by the surroundings.
Materials for intellectual development are gradually introduced when the children are ready. They are well made, attractive and interesting - always complete, never with pieces missing. These materials support the children's learning and provide them with a challenge. They also help the children develop skills competence and encourage problem solving.
The social setting is another aspect of the special Montessori environment. The children are mixed in groups with ages ranging from 2 to 6 in the pre-school Montessori class. This is a more natural way of grouping children than strictly by years, i.e. all the three year olds together, etc.
During the session, children are encouraged to move around freely and form their own friendships.
Although the Montessori materials encourage individual development to a large extent, there are at the same time many activities which encourage group development and co-operation and in a typical Montessori classroom the children will learn from each other - younger ones watching older or the older ones helping the younger ones. This type of setting encourages healthy social development. And the teacher creates a social environment which is democratic and supportive and encourages co-operation
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The Classrooms:
Each Montessori class consists of 15-20 children’s. The classroom materials are handcrafted and colorful in order to stimulate the child’s senses and intellect. They are displayed at child height to encourage the child to decide which learning activity to master next.
We have carefully designed our classrooms and equipped them with child-focused furnishings and Montessori materials to ensure the safety and well-being of the children in an interesting and stimulating environment.
The classroom itself is distinctive; typically beautiful and enticing. Walk into the classroom and you will see happy and busy children engaged in purposeful work. The classroom itself is distinctive; typically beautiful and enticing, but also characterized by the carefully prepared environment designed to reinforce the child’s independence and natural urge toward self-development.
The Material:
In the Montessori classroom, learning materials are arranged invitingly on low, open shelves. Children may choose whatever materials they would like to use and may work for as long as the material holds their interest. When they are finished with each material, they return it to the shelf from which it came.
The materials themselves invite activity. There are bright arrays of solid geometric forms, knobbed puzzle maps, colored beads, and various specialized rods and blocks.
These unique materials are tools to stimulate the child into logical thought and discovery. Each piece of material has a specific purpose and is presented in a manner that will enable children to direct their own learning. Each piece presents one concept or idea at a time and has what is known as a “control of error”. If the child has done something incorrectly, it will be self-evident. The geometric shape, for example, won’t fit the hole; or the last label will not match the last picture. In this way, children learn to work with increasing independence, taking control and responsibility for their own learning.
The room, the equipment, the activities and the teachers respond to and guide children in ways which directly relate to their own developmental levels; they do not simply follow a curriculum. In essence, the classroom provides an environment where children develop individually, appropriate to their age; children are respected and enabled to grow and learn at their own pace.
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