Our Classrooms
Our bright and clean Montessori classrooms are aesthetically and purposefully designed to provide a calm environment with inspiring materials arranged in order, so as to meet the developmental needs of your child. The classroom is organized and prepared with specially designed Montessori materials that help a child in developing concentration and understanding of concepts in depth and have defined space for each area of the curriculum. The five main areas are Practical life skills, Sensorial activities, Mathematics, Language, and Cultural Studies. Each area is organized with materials in shelves that are arranged in order – from simple to complex. When you walk into our classroom, you may see a cozy corner for your child to read a book, child-size tables and chairs to work, large rugs for peer interaction, kitchen tools to develop his motor skills and above all, a large space to freely move around and explore the corners of the classroom and to make him feel at home.
Structure and order are core to our classroom arrangement. Children, even as young as infants, love the sense of order. Children feel secure and safe in an orderly environment and it helps in building a child’s confidence and have developed a positive attitude towards school. Order in the environment means organizing the materials in a certain order. When materials are always kept in the place assigned for it, a child can pick up the material, work with them and return it back in its place. With the independence and freedom to choose his own work, a child is able to repeat an activity and master it. Hence, we give extreme importance to maintain order in our classrooms.
Curriculum
We adopt a structured curriculum where children learn through presentations given by the teacher using the materials and through observation. All lessons are presented in a linear and sequential manner and your child will progress to the next step, after mastering the previous activity. The curriculum at iBloom Montessori is based on Montessori philosophy which emphasizes on self-directed activity, hands-on learning, and collaborative play. We believe and encourage independent learning with age-appropriate activities. It motivates the child and helps him/her to be resilient in overcoming challenges and to become excellent time managers. Group activities are also a part of our everyday routine. It helps the child to socialize and learn about teamwork, sharing, and compromising with others. Circle time is conducted almost every day. This is a great time for children to gather, learn, and share information. It gives an opportunity for your child to speak up in a group, get motivated to share their thoughts, and develop their listening skills. Teachers usually revisit the same theme or materials to a complex level to help the child gain in-depth knowledge on a particular topic. Art and Music are also a part of our curriculum. Children may participate in other extra-curricular activities like ballet, yoga, and soccer.
Teachers
Our experienced teachers not only have precise knowledge about the materials and the way to guide the children to use them correctly, but she also has the insights to provide the right materials to the child at the right time. As an observer, our teachers watch the children while they work, allow them to learn from their discoveries, and actively engage them in their learning process. Teachers insist that children should be given the freedom to carry out their work in their environment because it helps them to nourish their mind and develop an independent mind and makes him capable of forming his own judgments and making his own choices. The teacher never disturbs a working child because “a touch can make it vanish again, like a soap bubble, and with it goes all the beauty of the moment.” (The Absorbent Mind, Dr. Maria Montessori). As a facilitator, a teacher provides an uninterrupted space for the child to work in the environment as she believes that once a child’s interest is awakened, they start concentrating and will repeat their exercises and finally master the concepts. Hence, the role of the teacher is, therefore:
“to watch with humble reverence, day by day, the spontaneous unfolding of the children’s lives; seeking always to remove obstacles, both internal and external from their path, whilst she guides with science and sympathy the irrepressible energies of life” (Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work, E. M. Standing)
Continuous assessment is a routine duty of our teachers. Through the keen observation, teachers assess your child’s work on a daily basis and prepare a consolidated report of your child’s progress. This report will be shared with you twice a year during our parent-teacher conferences. However, you may also meet with the lead teacher on any working day with a prior appointment to check on your child progress.