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Discovering Montessori
We take a tour of Discovery Montessori Academy , the primary school campus located in Discovery Bay , to see first-hand the benefits of a Montessori education
During our visit to Discovery Montessori Academy , the children are making presentations to their parents . We sneak into the back of the large , open room and watch as the children in the mixed-age class – aged between eight and 10 years – each stand up and address their audience .
The children have been working on a project about Early Man for approximately four months . They ’ ve been watching documentaries , undertaking research , writing up their findings and creating a timeline , culminating with this presentation .
It ’ s always impressive seeing a young child stand up and make a presentation , overcoming their nerves and speaking loudly and clearly ; it ’ s not easy to do . When we consider that for some of these children English is a second language , and that a few have only recently learnt to speak English at all , it ’ s even more impressive .
Also impressive are the sheets of handwritten paper included on the timelines they ’ ve created . The writing is very neat , and all cursive . At Discovery Montessori , the children learn cursive writing when they are just three years old . “ Cursive writing is key to Montessori learning , representing fluidity of hand and mind ,” explains one of the teachers .
In a classroom next door , a group of children , who were not quite ready to tackle the subject of Early Man , are also making presentations , but this time about insects . The children are either a little younger or have a lower level of English . One child is originally from Russia . When he joined Discovery Montessori Academy he had no spoken English at all ; six months later he could communicate verbally and one year later , he can read and write in English . That ’ s pretty impressive .
The students at the school are a mixture of nationalities ; there are European and Asian families , including Hong Kong Chinese families . It ’ s a truly international school .
But how has it achieved such positive results with teaching language skills ? This comes down to a mixture of hard work , patience and the Montessori way of teaching .
Montessori learning is suitable for all children , including gifted children or those with special educational needs , as it focuses on individual learning . There is no pressure – children can learn at their own pace , speeding up if they are fast learners or taking their time to work on areas that may require more work , so it provides a great setting to learn languages .
24 www . playtimes . com . hk