Family & Life Magazine Issue 9 | Page 11

ADVERTORIAL The Character The Child Maketh More Than a Decade in Character Building Have you ever looked at a child who minds his Ps and Qs and who says please and thank you at every turn, and you wonder how that was achieved? It’s all about moulding the character of the kid, and it isn’t as complicated as you think it is. What is the difference between the traditional Montessori approach and Character Montessori? Grace: At Character Montessori, the children will go through the complete rigours of the traditional Montessori curriculum; children work with the materials, learn independently, and practice character traits like attentiveness and self-control. However, research informs us that moral values need to be taught, caught and practiced to take root in the hearts of children. Thus, in Character Montessori, we lay a moral foundation in our children through the direct teaching of values and interactions with teachers and friends in group activities; children develop moral reasoning when they learn why having a particular character trait like patience is good and to apply it when they engage in co-operative work or group learning activities which are not in the Montessori curriculum. Children also engage in discussions where they grasp the importance of a character trait and apply it in life - “Benny did not keep his toys after playing. Do you think it is a good or bad thing to do? Why?” “How would you help Benny?” Tell us a typical day in a Character Montessori classroom. Grace: In a Char