Link to
Montessori at Otari Preschool
The
Montessori Strand
The first
Montessori class was established at the school in
February 1992 to enable Montessori-based education
to continue past early childhood and into primary
school.
Due to its
success and the growth of school numbers, a second
class has been opened and Montessori-based
education up to 12-years-of-age is now
offered.
The
Montessori Philosophy
Maria
Montessori believed children have an inner drive to
develop and learn. In the Montessori primary strand
the environment is prepared to provide the child
with that which she/he needs to learn in maths,
language and cultural areas.
The teacher
acts as a facilitator in the child's learning
experience, guiding the child, based on the need or
interest a child shows. The teacher and child
decide together the learning to be undertaken so
the child exercises judgement, time-management,
self-reflection and responsibility.
The composition
of ages encourages healthy social development and
cooperative learning is fostered. The individuality
of each child is respected by all. Children are
grouped according to developmental stages and
social needs.
The Montessori
method encompasses and delivers the national
curriculum objectives, while offering the child
broader, more diverse learning opportunities in
some areas. The most important factor in a
Montessori class is to develop "the teacher within"
where the children's natural love of learning
becomes a lifetime habit.
Wilton
Montessori Education Trust
The Wilton
Montessori Education Trust (WMET) was created to
protect the ownership of the specialised Montessori
equipment and to further the aims of the Montessori
method of education.
It is a
registered charitable trust and as such,
contributions made by parents to the trust may be
claimed as a charitable donation. The trustees
comprise the Montessori Directress/Director, four
Montessori parents and a founding parent as a legal
adviser.
Currently
parents are asked to contribute $700 in the first
term of their child's attendance and $190 per term
thereafter. This is determined by the WMET and
Montessori parents according to class and equipment
needs.
Full financial
information on the trust is provided to parents on
a regular basis. The school also asks families for
an annual donation.
Read
the article Montessori in the
New Zaland state system: Classrooms of 'Special
Chartacter'
