by on 03/09/2018 10383
The children’s house being Malaysia’s Longest Established Montessori Preschool still sits within its emblematic red and white site as it did since 1986. The core values remain and service continues to be strongly dedicated to developing opportunities within the local community. The newest member of its cohort of schools – The children’s house TTDI 2 – opened its doors in August 2018 and is located in the vicinity of its predecessor. It is, in every way, an expression of the families that turn to it.
The physical plant of the school presents an impression granted by the longstanding tradition of providing a fertile environment for little minds to flourish, combined with liberal values of enquiry. Children attending will find the school to be a home, arriving within an environment that is supportive, peaceful and happy. By the very nature of The children’s house, every aspect is designed to nurture children’s joy and love of learning, confidence, self-motivation, independence, creativity and respect. Soft lighting and natural wood furnishings create a cozy overall atmosphere; French doors seamlessly connect indoor and outdoor spaces, optimizing the way children interact with the environment; child-sized furniture and accessible materials promote independence and self-driven learning; well-defined spaces accommodate the choice of individual learning and group activities.
Central to every child’s school experience here is a blend of best practices drawn from the most established and trusted programmes in its catchment area. The school prepares children aged 8 months to 6 years to be independent learners, as well as respectful, responsible and mindful individuals. Children get to spend their formative years within a consistent community of care, building meaningful, long-term relationships with peers and guides.
The first 18 months capitalize on play to help little ones experiment, make sense of the world, express their curiosity and cultivate a range of important foundational skills. These play experiences open up opportunities that build on fine and gross motor skills, social and emotional growth, sensory and perception, language and self-help. By drawing on their natural desires to play and explore, children become motivated and develop positive feelings towards learning.
Learning and development progressively adopts the approach that Maria Montessori described a century ago. Rather than a traditional model in which learning is compartmentalized into individual subjects, the curriculum here adopts an integrated thematic approach that links different disciplines of studies – practical life, language, sensorial, mathematics, science, music and culture. Activities take a hands-on approach and children learn by doing. The prepared environment allows for freedom of movement and a variety of activities, either done individually or with peers in small groups. The pace is unhurried, and teachers gently guide instead of interfere. Calm voices are used, everyone is treated with respect, and children are taught to share and take care of each other. Children are encouraged to express themselves and converse with peers and adults; conversations will lead to the formal teaching of language acquisition in Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin. The sequence of daily activities provides children with an understanding of independence, discipline and time management. Interests and interactions are extended to the outdoors daily, with the inclusion of field trips organized every term; spending time outdoors will also influence children to lead an environmentally responsible lifestyle. Over succeeding years, lessons build on each other in increasing degrees of complexity to prepare children for formal schooling.
It is also a place for parents to learn more about a child-centred approach to education, develop friendships and find support. Busy working parents will have a peace of mind entrusting a highly trained and experienced team with the care of their little ones after school. Full-day options include intensive Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia classes, and will expand to include more enrichment programmes over time such as robotics and sports. Nutritious, age-appropriate meals and snacks are also provided to meet the needs of rapidly growing bodies and minds. Establishing partnerships with parents is highly placed and acts as the keystone that holds the whole education process together; regular communication and progress updates are delivered to provide guidance on areas needing development; the school constantly seeks out parent involvement activities such as nature walks, planting and a yearly “Caring and Sharing” event to help parents gain a sense of community which can considerably lead to greater achievement benefits.
The children’s house TTDI 2 aligns a prepared learning environment with appropriate experiences to promote optimal early childhood development outcomes that will not only prepare children for school, but for life.
