How does a parent ever know that they have made the right choice when making difficult decisions for their child, such as where to send them to school for Kindergarten?
Every day when my 4.5-year-old son comes home from Rowntree Montessori School (RMS), I can see the wonder and excitement on his face and in his discussions at the dinner table. “Mommy, do you know what Black History Month is?!” “Mama, I spelled my name!” “Mom, I counted 100 beads today!” With each passing day, I continue to be amazed at his growth and development not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. I truly believe that it is his exposure to the Kindergarten Montessori programme that has helped him to develop into an intelligent, caring, compassionate, and curious little boy. Each of the skills he learns at school is evident in our home-life as well.
Using Montessori Materials
At school, he is exposed to sensorial Montessori materials, such as pouring, scooping, and lacing, all of which have helped develop his fine-motor and self-help skills. This hands-on approach to learning aids him in being able to master tasks such as dressing himself, precision with pouring, and even printing. The Rowntree Montessori approach to learning has really helped to develop his independence in completing his school-work and in self-care. He also uses various Montessori materials to aid in his understanding of mathematics and language. With Kindergarten expectations set higher than the Ministry of Education, students benefit from the use of apparatuses such as the Spindle boxes and the Addition Strip Board. These strengthen his understanding of concepts, such as numeration and addition. Watching my 4.5-year-old son complete addition questions of sums over 10 is just one example of the reassurance I am given in my choice to have him attend Rowntree Montessori Schools.
I will never forget the evening my son came home with a list of spelling words to work on for homework. I was surprised to see that my little boy could not only identify the phonetic sound of each letter but could read each list word! The RMS Kindergarten Montessori programme focuses on the importance of reading and writing right from the beginning. Students are taught to correctly print letters, with the use of the Montessori Sandpaper Letters. The importance of reading is also evident through their Reading program where students are given a weekly reader to practice. In just a few short months I was amazed to see that my son has advanced so remarkably in his language and reading skills. At such a young age, I can already see the early signs in my son of a strong reader!
One of the most notable areas of growth I have witnessed in my son since he began the RMS Kindergarten Montessori programme in September is in his character building. His participation in class has helped him to build healthy peer-relationships. He has become more respectful, caring and responsible. All of these traits are evident in his home-life, particularly in the way he interacts with his siblings at home, with extended family and to people in our community. He shows compassion and understanding to his younger sister and models the importance of using manners, sharing and being kind to others.
The enriched curriculum that he is being taught at school has given him every opportunity to reach his highest potential. The curriculum being taught is current, cross-curricular, and challenging. Classroom sizes are smaller and allow for more one-on-one attention with each student. I am confident that my child receives the individualized attention that he requires to succeed at school. As a parent, we all want to ensure that we provide our children with the very best, and what better place to start than at the Top Choice Award-winning school, Rowntree Montessori Schools.
If you want your child to have the best start to their education, complete an enquiry form today. Someone from our Admissions Team will contact you and discuss how RMS can help your child reach their full potential.
