WONDERKIDS MONTESSORI PRIMARY
School in Durban

The Montessori Method of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, is a child-centred educational approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child which in essence is directed to the head, heart and hands. Her first interest as a physician was to care for the deficient and retarded children, where basing her work on the principles evolved by two French doctors and educators -Seguin and Itard she found she was able to bring certain of these children to a higher level of development. Dr. Maria Montessori left behind a wonderful legacy: a philosophy of life, a unique method of education, materials, with which to educate, and a system of training which is capable of producing teachers who give the children the best possible foundation for life. The order within the environment is not arbitrary, but is a response to the child’s need for structured experiences as he tries to make sense of the world around him. Order in the environment helps the child to work independently without needing an adult’s assistance. The order of a Montessori classroom is not the structure of a conventional classroom. Montessori is a method of teaching where the child is encouraged to learn through discovery. Montessori is not a system for training children in academic studies; nor is it a label to be put on educational materials. It is a revolutionary method of observing and supporting the natural development of children. The basis of Montessori practice in the classroom is respected individual choice of research and work, and group lessons led by an adult. Learning How to Think The Montessori Primary school program offers an unparalleled opportunity for the ongoing development of your child who has been nurtured in the preschool program. The Montessori Primary program, for children between the ages of six and nine, is designed to meet the needs of your child in this phase of development. When your six year old comes into the Primary class from the Montessori preschool, she will find much that is familiar in this new setting. The Primary classroom environment is beautiful and thoughtfully prepared to support independent learning; it is child-centered, not adult-centered. In the Preschool classroom, your child was best able to concentrate when working parallel to his peers, each with her own activity. For this reason, most of the lessons and follow-up projects in Primary are done in pairs or groups of children. Each day, your child will practice the social skills necessary to plan and carry out his projects: delegation and division of labor, sharing resources, making group decisions, taking responsibility for actions, and celebrating the success of peers. Designing our Primary program around the children’s natural cognitive abilities means that our focus is less on the facts and concepts we teach and more on what the children learn and how they learn it. For example, a group of children might have a lesson on the parts of a river. Lessons are presented in small groups to the children who are ready for them, regardless of their age. At the same time, she will collaborate with the teacher to ensure that the basic skills for each grade are mastered. They spend time outside, having direct experiences with the natural world. His Primary years have given him the freedom to develop as a unique individual. He has developed proficiency in all areas of academic endeavors and looks forward to the new opportunities beyond Montessori Primary.