By Dr Joël Rioux
Noosa Montessori school is attracted to a common staff vision: an ultimate respect for the child.
Children work at their own pace, develop the ability to make choices, and expand their concentration for as long as they wish.
The teacher understands that the whole future comes from this single moment of concentration and cherishes this precious moment.
Children show initiative, develop their will, demonstrate independence, and display cooperative learning skills as they self-reflect and communicate with each other to solve daily life classroom situations.
For the child to be learning, there needs to be an environment fostering these Montessori principles.
The role of the Montessori teacher is a respectful facilitator, a social reformist, as was Maria Montessori, and someone who understands that all children are at different levels of development.
Learning in a Montessori classroom is assisted via especially designed Montessori materials from Europe that are age-group appropriate (3-6, 6-9, 9-12 years old).
The colourful hands-on materials are visual aids that help facilitate memory recall.
The materials support the child to move from concrete leaning to higher abstractions. A carefully prepared environment is beautifully displayed, organised, orderly, attractive and enticing to the learner.
The Montessori learning environment provided to children lends itself to learning 21st century long life STEM skills (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) and fosters a student’s problem-solve approach.
STEM skills are critical for the Montessori child such as planning, problem solving, creativity, critical analysis, inquiry learning, teamwork, independent thinking, using initiative, presenting students results, digital literacy, and critical thinking skills.
These skills provide all students with the tools to succeed in the ever-evolving technology focused world.
Making it more fun and interesting, appealing to children, ‘hooking’ the primary aged cohort and engaging them for the long run.
STEM touches every aspect of our lives, from our smartphones to the technologies that enable us to explore the world around us and outer space. STEM also drives innovation in. Currently, Australia is in the midst of a STEM skills shortage which will only grow more acute as technology increasingly drives the way we work and live.
To succeed in our fast-changing global economy environment and for Australia to continue to prosper into the future, our Montessori students need a strong foundation in STEM.
One important goal of Montessori Noosa is to promote STEM as early as possible to young children and prepare them with STEM skills that will keep them in good stead for their future education (prepare them for high school science and beyond).
Investigating STEM subjects in primary schools is important for promoting students’ interests in studying science in high school and pursuing STEM careers.
If your child has a love of learning, is a self-directed learner, enjoys working with peers in a peaceful and academically challenging environment, Montessori Education might be the right fit for your family.
For more information, visit montessorinoosa.qld.edu.au
