The Singapore education system is one of the best in the world. As a result, many parents work hard to ensure that their children are prepared for school. Here is a five and a half dilligent girl working on mental math book 1. She realises that multiplying 39 x 10 makes 39 tens or 390. (Similar concept is taught in Singapore Primary 2 math syllabus)

square roots . . . age is no barrier

A key philosophy in our lesson is - 'age is no barrier to learning'. Learning sensorially through concrete objects . . Tim, our curious two and a half, stumbles upon the square root Montessori math activity. He discovers that each square root plate is different size. Furthermore, each square root plate will aligns perfectly on top of each other and forms a pyramid. The next step for him will be to compare each plate, notice their differences and similarities. Later, a teacher will introduce the mathematical concept of square roots to him.

learning through discovery

Here's a curious 9-month old exploring the piano. Deep in concentration, she quickly discovers how sound is produced.

learning through discovery

Our 9 month old enjoying the piano. Here she is pounding on the middle register. She learns that she holds the key to the dynamics of sound. . . pounding with all her might the piano echoes her strength with loud blast !

A delightful achievement

Having just read a book of funny rhymes, Amy, our brilliant four (4) year old young lady decides to move to the Small Moveable Alphabets to spells them out. Here's "tree", "see", "fee" and "drag", "grab", "crab". She quickly highlights this to everyone in class as she beams with delight at her achievement.

learning through discovery

Babies naturally enjoy rhymes, rhythm and songs. Here's a curious 9-month old exploring the piano. She realises that different keys have different pitches. Stringing them together, she discovers her own unique tune . . .

Two and a half year old boy enjoying his work with the Golden beads. He is lining up several Tens with a Hundred. Through hands-on concrete objects, he learns the Decimal System of units, tens, hundreds. The next step for him would be to learn through hands-on experience the value of a thousand and a million.

Montessori vs Conventional Education

Montessori Education vs. Conventional Education

Montessori Education
Emphasis on cognitive structures and social development
Child is an active participant in learning.
Environment and method encourage internal self-discipline
Mixed age grouping
Multi-sensory materials for physical exploration
Child chooses own work based on abilities, high-ability children work at faster pace.

Conventional Education:
Emphasis on rote knowledge and social development
Child is passive participant in learning.
Teacher acts as primary enforcer of external discipline.
Same age grouping
Curriculum structured with little regard for child's natural interest
Curriculum pace is usually set by the group norm or teacher, every child works at the same pace regardless of their cognitive ability.

phonics

A 2 1/2 year old boy, who has been learning the sounds of alphabets is now ready for blended words. Here he is working with the small moveable alphabets, spelling out the word of the objects, such as "dog".

Nurturing the Love of Learning

Experts who study the acquisition of language tell us that the basis for learning oneís mother tongue begins in the womb. In the study of the lives of great musicians it is often found that the exposure to good music also began in the womb.

Parents who learn songs to sing to their babies long before they are born find that these songs are very soothing to the infant after birth.

Just as with Montessori, the purpose of the Suzuki method is to create a loving relationship between child and adult, to give the child the joy of accomplishment and developed talents, and, by meeting the needs of children, to help create a more peaceful society. The best way to help children is to work with parents even before birth. Today Suzuki parent education classes, given to help parents prepare for their infants, are similar in many ways to Montessori parent education classes.

It is possible that the fetus absorbs the particular characteristic rhythms of the motherís language. In a sense the fetus is already at work, learning language! It is thus important to sing to the child even during pregnancy. The brain's growth during fetal life is astonishing, with 20,000 cells being added every minute. Dreaming begins at the end of the seventh month of pregnancy. —Silvana Montanaro, M.D., AMI Montessori teacher trainer

Kids at play

Children enjoying science through play. Here's two active young three year olds learning the properties of bubbles . . .