Montessori Kinderhaus Lorraine

 

Montessori Kindergarten 4-6

The Montessori Kindergarten Lorraine is based on the fundamental principles of Montessori education and follows the curriculum of the Canton of Bern. Children attend our compulsory two-year kindergarten program until they start school.

Children who are able to learn in a harmonious and consistent environment, with joy, set the course for their success at school.

 

Montessori Daycare 3-4

Together with the kindergarten children, the Montessori daycare center forms a mixed-age group typical of Montessori, where individual learning and free play take place.

 

Montessori Nido 1-3

The Montessori Nido is designed for toddlers. Nido means "nest" in Italian and captures the idea of safety and warmth. The purpose of Nido in Montessori children's houses is to create a homely, cozy, and quiet environment for our youngest children.

A Nido is designed so that children can move around freely and explore their surroundings while being accompanied by caregivers who are familiar with the Montessori method and its basic principles. Materials and equipment are provided that address and satisfy the child's needs.

An important part of Nido is that our youngest children develop new skills for independence and can master the environment around them. Nido is also a place where children begin to learn life skills.

Why Montessori?

"Children want to learn" – we support them in this and create optimal conditions.
Children don't want to learn just anything, but something very specific at a specific time. At the Montessori Children's House, teachers focus on what are known as the "sensitive periods" of children. These are times when children develop a particular interest in a specific topic. During this phase, they can learn with great intensity and playful ease. A key goal of Montessori education is to make the most of these periods when learning is easiest.

The mixed-age groups of 1-3 and 3-6 year olds form social communities.

They learn with and from each other at the same time. The younger children look to the older children for guidance. They observe and learn from their role models. Your child will learn how to ask for help and how to help others. "Together we are strong." The guiding principle of "Help me to do it myself" is at the heart of Montessori education.
The prepared environment in the children's house offers children the tools they need for healthy development appropriate to their age, which they can choose freely. The orderly variety of Montessori materials at eye level corresponds to children's natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

This environment has a clear and recognizable order and provides helpful orientation. Children do not have to constantly ask for help; they can be active independently and thus have the opportunity to detach themselves from adults. The Montessori method gives children enough freedom for individual development. They find various targeted activities with great learning incentives, such as Montessori developmental materials, where even difficult learning content is conveyed in a tangible way, "from grasping to understanding." In the Montessori learning environment for 4-6 year olds, your child experiences the school learning process without the usual experiences of failure and competition. From the very beginning, they also experience appreciation and respect, as well as mutual consideration and respect.

During free work, the children are largely free to decide for themselves what they want to work on and with whom. However, this does not mean that they can do whatever they want.

The Montessori teacher introduces each child to the material. Once they can work independently, she withdraws. She observes the group of children from a short distance and only intervenes when necessary.
By discovering and training their own abilities and resources, children recognize their own potential. They build self-confidence and become independent. Children are encouraged to make their own decisions. They learn to be self-determined and active, and they develop initiative and self-motivation.

They discover the joy of learning.

"Those who are supposed to be able to do something must be allowed to want to do it
If I am only allowed to do something when I am supposed to,
but never when I want to,
then I don't like it when I have to.
But if I am allowed to do something when I want to,
then I also like it when I am supposed to,
and then I can also do it when I have to."
(Graffiti at Berlin subway station)