Policy 12
Written: June 1999
Reviewed: December 2000
Reviewed: May 2001
Reviewed: May 2002
Reviewed: May 2003
Reviewed: May 2004
Reviewed: April 2005
Reviewed: May 2006
Reviewed: December 2007
Reviewed: August 2008
Reviewed: August 2009
Rationale:
Maria Montessori talked about the adult’s role in providing a rich environment as one comparable to that as a supportive traveller, rather than an all- knowing dictator of knowledge. Consequently she developed a process oriented educational theory. In the classroom this means that depending on which “plane of development” a child might be in, more or less emphasis might be placed on the work product. However, the directress continually focuses on providing children access to the tools they’ll need to unlock the mysteries of the world. These tools include independence, ability to make responsible choices, self-direction, self -knowledge and acceptance, co-operative attitudes and problem solving abilities
Purpose:
The teachers at Airdmhor Montessori strongly believe that the daily programme should follow the philosophy of Maria Montessori. Montessori education should allow the child’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning to grow in an atmosphere of freedom unhindered by pressure, failure or fear. It is one, which allows the child’s own timetable to signal their need to acquire knowledge and skills to create the curriculum.
Guidelines:
The outline of the programme will be a guideline to follow for safety of children and adults at the centre and to make provision for ensuring the children’s physical needs are catered for.
7.30am
Centre opens, full day children arrive into the Centre. Supervisor and staff rostered on are responsible for helping them farewell their parents/caregivers and helping the individual children settle by encouraging them to undertake activities of choice from around the Centre.
This time of the morning allows the full day children who arrive between 7.30 and 9.00 to settle in before the session time starts. Children are encouraged to undertake activities of choice from around the Centre while staff set up the Centre ready for the arrival of the session children at 9am. As most children arrive at 9am for the start of the session there are only a few children at the Centre during this time. It is important that the children take responsibility for their own learning during this time where they are encouraged to take different activities from the shelf and replace them when finished. Examples of some of the activities that can be chosen by the children to do are practical life, art and craft, games, sensorial activities and construction. Teachers during this time are responsible to work with the children but not to intervene too much with the learning taking place.
8.00am
The teacher rostered on the van for that day and an accompanying adult if there are more than three children to be picked up, take the van to pick up the children in the Halswell area for the 9.00am session.
8.30am
Third staff member arrives
9.00am
Children arrive for the start of the morning session. Staff help children farewell their parents/caregivers and encourage them to choose an activity of choice from around the Centre.
The programme runs throughout the morning where the children are encouraged to choose activities of choice from around the Centre including outdoors (weather permitting.) A staff member is situated in the different areas for the whole session where they will work alongside the children in their chosen activities. A roster is in place which means children will see the same teacher in each room for each half day of the week. This provides stability and continuity for children on the days they regularly attend each week. Children are free to have morning tea throughout the morning where they are encouraged to independently take their own lunchbox from the trolley when they are hungry. The teacher in the Practical Life area is responsible for monitoring food intake of over 2’s and to ensure all children have had at least one thing to eat, as well as ensuring children who are staying all day are not eating all their food in the morning. The teacher in the Practical Life area checks the children’s lunch boxes by 10.45am to ensure all children have been offered food and drink. All children should have eaten by 11.00 o’clock when they should be starting to help tidy up the environment for reflection time.
Under two-year old children are free to eat in the Practical life area, or with their primary caregivers in the sleep room. The teacher in the sleep room will ensure they have sufficient food before the start of the individual sleep times.
The teacher on float is responsible to guide children into an activity if necessary and provide release time for teachers on morning and afternoon breaks.
Children continue to choose activities of choice from the prepared environment until 11.20am.
It is important that the session involves free choice for children where they are encouraged to choose from the many different activities set up in the environment. As well as the children having chosen from activities in the Montessori environment like the Practical life ones and sensorial ones children can also choose ones that are set up daily on the tables and shelving from around the environment.
Activities set up daily are done so through the interests of the children where activities are planned to extend on the children’s knowledge in the area that they want to learn more about. If a teaching moment takes place and the child wants to learn about something it is important to have the resources available in the environment to extend on their knowledge.
Enabling the children to wander throughout the Centre, exploring the different areas extends their independence, where they are responsible for taking control of their own learning. Children are encouraged to work by themselves but they can also be guided by a teacher when, necessary.
Children are given the freedom to choose what activity they would like to participate in and respect the other children working in the environment too. If they can’t do this then a teacher is responsible to direct them away to something else if they are disrupting the work and the learning of another child.
Having a rolling morning tea means the children can eat when they are hungry instead of eating when they are told to. Each child’s eating habits are different and they all eat at different times. Children who arrive into the Centre early will need to eat earlier than children who arrive for the start of the session, as they will have to feed their energy levels.
11.20am
Children gather into age appropriate groups, 2 year olds in the play dough room for mat time, 3 years in Practical life room and 4 years olds in the Classroom to undertake work in their Reflection Book. Depending on the age and stage of the babies they can stay in the nursery for stories/ mat time or join in with the two-year old group.
For twenty minutes children gather into age appropriate grouping. The teacher in this room working with the children is the teacher who has been in the room for the session. For the two year olds this is a chance for them to spend time with children the same age, undertaking stories, songs and taped books. Activities planned are age appropriate to them and may encourage them to work together in a group where they will learn to turn-take and share. With the older age group the children are given time to draw in their Reflection Book where they are encouraged to reflect on something special that has either happened at Preschool or at home. Older children are encouraged to write the day and date on the page. When they have completed their drawing they will explain to the teacher in the room about their picture and the teacher will write down the exact words the children say to them. Working like this also prepares the children for school where they are encouraged to work together in a large classroom setting. If more time is available children are encouraged to choose a book for independent reading or if there is time, teachers may read a story.
11.40 am
All children gather for a combined group time where they participate in music and movement as well as discussing special happenings of the day.
Babies are welcome to join in for this special time as long as they are not too disruptive of the session taking place. Morning session children are fare welled and collected by their parent/caregiver.
It is important to all come together as a combined group at the end of the session where as well as participating in music and movement this gives children and teachers a chance to discuss special events that may have happened during the session. Children also learn the rules of working in a large group where they learn to turn -take, share and listen to other’s views. Undertaking the music session ensures the children learn to listen to instructions being given to them as well as following through with them. As the group may contain up to 30 children at a time it is important that it isn’t too long so we do not lose the interest and the concentration of the children.
12.00pm
Children staying for lunch and the afternoon session wash hands ready for lunch. All children have lunch together either outdoors under the veranda (weather permitting) or indoors. Staff: child ratios are maintained while teachers take their rostered lunch breaks. When children have finished their lunch they are encouraged to go outdoors for a run (weather permitting) or sit indoors for a story while the environment is set up for the afternoon session. When it is set up they are encouraged to choose from the different activities around the environment.
It is important to have lunch together as they extend on social skills. Babies are encouraged to come and join in with the older children. Children are also encouraged to enjoy their Kai in an unhurried way where they can enjoy it until they have had enough. Children are encouraged to tidy away when they have finished and enjoy some free play before the afternoon session starts. Staff also enjoy their own lunch break in this hour, ensuring that staff ratios remain at all times. This is also time for the children to relax and enjoy some quiet time before the afternoon session children arrive.
12.30pm
Children who need an afternoon sleep will be taken into the sleep room in the nursery where they will be placed in either a cot or a fold out bed for their nap. Comforters and sleep toys will be placed will them and the teacher in the nursery will either toilet them, check their nappy and strip them down to ensure they are comfortable during their sleep. When they wake the teacher in the nursery will get them up, check their nappy or toilet them and place their clothes back on. Sheets will be placed in the wash and blankets folded and placed away.
Curtains will be drawn and the nursery door into the hallway will be closed and the other door will be left open or slightly ajar, depending on noise levels around the environment. It is important to comply with the regulations to ensure children are given undisturbed rest. The nursery teacher must stay in there while children are sleeping, monitoring there sleeping and getting them up, dressed and ready for the afternoon when they wake. The doors to the nursery will be opened when most of the children are awake and the rest of the sleeping children have had plenty of sleep.
The afternoon session is the same as the morning one
13.00pm
The afternoon session starts, more children arrive for the start of the afternoon session. Staff help children farewell their parents/caregivers and encourage them to choose an activity of choice from around the Centre.
The programme runs throughout the afternoon where the children are encouraged to choose activities of choice from around the Centre including outdoors (weather permitting.) A staff member is situated in the different areas for the whole session where they will work alongside the children in their chosen activities. A roster is in place which means children will see the same teacher in each room, for each half day of the week. This provides stability and continuity for children on the days they regularly attend each week. Children are free to have morning tea throughout the afternoon where they are encouraged to independently take their own lunchbox from the trolley when they are hungry. The teacher in the Practical Life area is responsible for monitoring food intake of over 2’s and to ensure all children have had at least one thing to eat. The teacher in the Practical life area checks the children’s lunch boxes by 14.45am to ensure all children have been offered food and drink. All children should have eaten by 15.00 o’clock when they should be starting to help tidy up the environment for reflection time.
Under two-year old children are free to eat in the Practical Life area, play dough room or with their primary caregivers in the sleep room.
The teacher on float is responsible to guide children into an activity if necessary and provide release for teacher’s afternoon tea breaks.
Children continue to choose activities of choice from the prepared environment until 15.20pm.
15.20pm
Children gather into age appropriate groups, 2 year olds in the play dough
room for mat time, 3 years in Practical life room and 4 years olds in the Classroom to undertake work in their reflection book. Depending on the age and stage of the babies they can stay in the nursery for stories/ mat time or join in with the two-year old group.
15.40pm
All children gather for a combined group time where they participate in music and movement as well as discussing special happenings of the day.
Babies are welcome to join in for this special time as long as they are not too disruptive of the session taking place. Afternoon session children and some full day children are farewelled and collected by their parent/caregiver or taken home in the preschool van.
16.00pm
Some staff sign off for the day. The number of staff staying depends on children left after four, the adult/child ratio remains during this time.
Full day children being picked up after the session wash their hands for late snack. After something to eat they pack their bags and choose activities from around the Centre. Weather permitting the children can either choose something to do outdoors or something to do in one of the areas from around the Centre. During this time it is important that the children choose to do activities in one area for example the classroom so the other staff members can clean up. A staff member with remain working alongside the children in their chosen activities ensuring that they are on hand to help if needed.
After four there are not many children left so only one staff member needs to be working alongside the children while the others tidy and prepare the Centre ready for the next day. It is important that children have a late snack because they may not have eaten much during the day and their energy levels may be low, they just need a little boost. As children may also be tired by this stage of the day it is important that children choose quiet activities to undertake so they are winding down before they are collected. At this stage of the day children only need to be working in one area of the Centre and as each area has many different activities to choose from they still have plenty of choice in what they would like to do. After Kai it is important to ask the children left which area they would like to be in as they still have choice in what they want to do.
17.30pm
Centre closes to those who have stayed all day, the teachers farewell children and discuss the child’s day with the parents/caregivers.
A teacher is rostered on changing each half-day. A daily list is collated in the morning of the children who will need their nappies changed during the day. A separate list of children who need to be reminded about going to the toilet is written up on the white board by the children’s toilet area. All information is recorded on a daily sheet and in a child’s book if under two years old. At the end of the week these sheets are filed in a filing cabinet upstairs in the office as well as any accident and medicine recording forms filled out for children for that week.
Children and families will be welcomed and farewelled by staff and be available to discuss the interests and activities of the day.
During the day children will be able to move freely between the inside or outside weather permitting.
Extra activities will be used to extend activities both child initiated and adult led in response to the emerging curriculum.
In addition to the Montessori didactic materials other areas of play will be available to the children.
Constructive: blocks, duplo, carpentry, modelling
Manipulative: puzzles, seriation, playdough,
Imaginative: family corner, puppets, junk
Language: books, activities, tapes, music
Creative: paints, collage, clay, paper and construction
Positive social interaction will be encouraged and praise and re-direction will be used to foster peaceful relationships.
Please feel free to ask how your child’s day has been, we feel privileged to have been with your child and are happy to share your child’s day with you.
This statement of daily planning should be read in conjunction with the following attachments to give a complete picture of the way a Montessori learning environment is designed to allow your child’s curiosity for learning to grow in an atmosphere of freedom, unhindered by pressure, failure and fear. It is one in which allows the child’s own timetable for development signal his need to acquire knowledge and skills to dictate the curriculum.
Characteristics Of An Authentic Montessori School
MAC brochure with information on Montessori philosophy, frequently asked questions and the Montessori curriculum areas.
Policy Written: July 1999, Reviewed: December 2000, Reviewed: May 2001, Reviewed: May 2002, Reviewed: May 2003, Reviewed: May 2004, Reviewed April 2005, Reviewed May 2006, Reviewed December 2007, August 2008, August 2009,
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Programme Planning
Policy 15
Written: 15th June 1999
Reviewed: June 2001
Reviewed: June 2002
Reviewed: June 2003
Reviewed: June 2004
Reviewed: May 2005
Reviewed: June 2007
Reviewed: May 2008
Reviewed: May 2009
Rationale:
Planning should help adults in early childhood education to understand what young children are learning, how the learning happens, and the role that both adults and other children play in such learning.
Purpose:
To ensure that planning the curriculum is a continuous process, involving careful observation, and recording by the teachers. This information can then be shared amongst the teachers and will facilitate each child’s progress through the Montessori Curriculum, and enable teachers to work co-operatively and make the most of the teachable moments when they occur. To ensure that we continue discussion and debate about our programme, as we realise this is a crucial part of the process of improving it, by ensuring that people think about it, and are able to justify their beliefs and practices.
Guidelines:
Observations whether formal of informal are the basis for all planning.
A separate book for each child under two is kept for recording details for parents as to each child’s day at the centre and parents record any information from home. This is available for all teachers to view to keep up to date with each child’s journey and is used as a basis for the six monthly RAPID during a discussion time with parents/ caregivers.
A daily recording sheet is used in the teaching room to enable the work completed by each child in the centre who is over two years of age to be recorded and shared with all teachers. This information is transferred to each child’s individual file on a weekly basis either in Centre time or paid for extra. This information is then available for teachers to refer to and see a snapshot of each child’s achievements. In conjunction with this, photos taken of each child’s important achievements and milestones are placed into their R.A.P.I.D files. Photos are also taken of daily activities and put on the laptop as a slide show for parents and children to view when they collect their child. These are than transferred and stored onto a disc each month. This information enables each child’s progress to be documented throughout their time at Airdmhor and is referred to when the child’s six monthly RAPID is being undertaken. The Teacher working on the child’s RAPID updates the new Montessori Recording Form as part of the evaluation of the child’s progress. See attached sheets for copies of the RAPID form for parents and teachers.
At each monthly staff meeting a list is collated of the children who are due to have a RAPID completed for that month. The Supervisor allocates a suitable teacher to complete each RAPID, taking into consideration the days that teachers work and the days that children attend and each child’s individuality. Our aim is to allocate each teacher two children per month. Time is allocated in staff meetings, see format for staff meetings, for staff to share plans and goals in place for the next six months for individual children completed from the previous month. A copy of each child’s RAPID is filed in a folder in the staff room, labelled children’s R.A.P.I.D.S so all staff can access the children’s individual plans and goals for the next 6 months. Refer to policy 9 Observation and Assessment policy.
The planning of the daily programme is based on providing a rich stimulating core curriculum, recognising and working with an emergent curriculum, as well as working from a written formal plan. An overall plan of the whole year is displayed on a yearly wall planner and placed on the notice board in the Practical life area. This plan is written in advance and includes all areas of the Montessori curriculum. The plan is a guide for learning taking place and activities that have actually occurred during the day is written in the curriculum planner. Activities planned are done so based on observations and identifying needs of individual or groups of children. In conjunction with this the prepared environment, the Montessori Curriculum areas provides ongoing opportunities to observe children in the process of discovering and making sense of their world. Teachers use all this information to scaffold children’s learning throughout the day.
Emergent curriculum details may be recorded in several ways.
- By the photos taken and stored in the monthly discs and in each child’s individual file
- By recording informal and formal discussions by staff and with parents.
Activities initiated by the children are recorded daily in the curriculum planner. Each teacher is responsible to record activities taken place in their area which have been set up through the child’s interest (the emergent curriculum.) This enables everyone to identify areas, which could be given further follow up, by way of introduction of resources or planning to capitalise on the children’s interest and curiosity.
Time is allocated at staff meetings for the development of these ideas and for the follow up evaluation of the previous month’s curriculum.
All plans are linked to the principles, strands and goals of Te Whaariki and evaluated against learning outcomes (see sheet attached)
The curriculum planer is kept up to date and is used as a reference to check areas, which need to be introduced or to continue ongoing activities and progress of interest to the children. As the curriculum planner has the activities pencilled in it for the whole year it is filed at the end of the year.
Time is allocated at the monthly staff meetings for resourcing the core curriculum, health and safety issues, as well as general matters for consideration and action. See Policy 13 Staff Meeting Agenda.
Written: June 1999, Reviewed: June 2001, Reviewed: June 2002, Reviewed: June 2003, Reviewed: June 2004, Reviewed May 2005, Reviewed June 2007, Reviewed: May 2008, Reviewed May 2009,
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Philosophy
Description
of centre’s
philosophy and its impact on the programme experienced by the children.
What
makes our centre distinctive, and what we are trying to achieve in our
approach, is to provide an early childhood environment based on the Montessori
philosophy of education. The main emphasis of the Montessori philosophy,
as defined by Maria Montessori, is to provide an environment which cultivates
the child’s own natural desire to learn. Airdmhor’s
own personal philosophy statement states:
“ I can’t
change the direction of the wind but I can adjust my sails to always
reach my destination”
This philosophy statement was written before Airdmhor Montessori opened in
1999 and each year we have reviewed it and kept it in its original form.
We all feel strongly that it is very relevant in present times, because of
the alarming rate that knowledge is changing in the world. Children do not
need static knowledge they need to have the tools to prepare them for coping
with situations to find out answers and ways to understand and solve the
mysteries of the universe.
The features of our programme which reflect our philosophy and how this approach
impacts on the programme experienced by the children are outlined below:
The Montessori Learning Environment:
Our
centre is a child-centred environment the
focus of activity in a Montessori setting is the children’s own learning,
generally the children work individually or in small, self selected groups.
A responsive prepared environment: The environment is designed
to meet the needs, interests, abilities and development of the children.
The teachers have designed and adapt the environment with this community
of children in mind.
A focus on individual progress and development: Within our Montessori
programme, children progress at their own pace moving on to the next step
in each area of learning, as they are ready. The layout and operation of
the centre, qualification and experience of the teachers, resources and the
low child ratios make it possible for teachers to work with children to meet
their individual needs on a daily basis.
Montessori Learning Activities:
Hands on learning: The focus is on direct personal hands on contact
with either real things under study or with concrete models that bring abstract
concepts to life as that allows children to learn with much deeper understanding.
Spontaneous activity: The children are encouraged to move about
freely, with reasonable limits of appropriate behaviour. Much of the time
they select work, which captures their interest and attention although teachers
also strive to capture their interest in new challenges and areas of inquiry.
Self-directed activity:
as one of Montessori’s key concepts
is the idea that children are driven by their desire to become independent
and competent beings in the world to learn new things and master new skills.
Independence is encouraged at all times by the prepared environment and the
teachers who believe in the importance of helping a child to “do it
myself”
Freedom within limits:
our children enjoy freedom of movement and choice. They are free to do
anything appropriate to the ground rules of the community, but the rights
of others are respected at all times.
The Montessori Teacher.
We have a highly
qualified and experienced staff, nine will have teacher registration by
April 2005 and nearly all have completed Montessori early childhood training.
Three of us are lecturing the Aperfield Montessori Early Childhood Diploma,
through Advanced Studies for Teacher’s Courses at
the Christchurch College of Education. In fact, for the past four years the
courses have been held here at Airdmhor Montessori in the evenings.
Observer:
Montessori
teachers are trained observers of children’s learning and
behaviour. Procedures are in place for observations to be recorded daily
both in written or photographic form. This information is used by the team
to infer where children are in terms of their development, and gives teachers
information as to the needs of each child. Teachers can then use this information
to facilitate the learning process by making a match between the learner
and knowledge or skills, which will be the best response to the changing
interests and needs of each child as a unique individual.
The
environment is well resourced and organised to ensure that the materials
needed to provide the help each child needs, is easily accessible for the
teacher to use at “the
teachable moment”. As Montessori educators we truly accept that children
learn in many different ways and at their own pace. As a team we understand
we must “follow the child” adjusting our strategies and timetable
to fit the development of each pupil. We have purposely planned the layout
into five separate areas and the day-to-day operation of the centre; each
teacher is rostered to an area on a regular basis to enable continuity of
learning for the children who attend regular sessions and days.
At
Airdmhor Montessori we recognise that our role is not to teach but to inspire,
mentor and facilitate the learning process. The real work of learning belongs
to the individual child. Montessori said “no one can be free unless he
is independent”. Because of this, as Montessori educators, we remain
conscious of our role in helping each child to fulfil his or her potential
as a human being and of creating an environment for learning within which
children will feel safe, cherished and empowered.
After
compiling the materials in preparation for this audit, I feel confident
that what is happening for children at Airdmhor Montessori reflects our philosophy,
prepares children to be life long learners and to be able to “adjust
their sails to always reach their destination”
We look forward to your visit and discussions on what is happening for children
at Airdmhor Montessori.
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