At the International Montessori Nursery we are proud to offer a complete series of genuine Montessori learning materials. We are committed to offering a rich and varied programme that remains true to the methods and concepts developed by Maria Montessori. Our classrooms are full of happy children who are doing the activities that they want to do - activities that have been observed for more than 100 years as the things that all children like to do, and that help children to grow, mature and become active participants in life.

As well, we offer supplementary group activities in art, music and storytelling. These activities enrich the creative and imaginative horizon of a child's mind and foster self-expression, communication and the spirit of working together. The International Montessori Nursery prides itself on incorporating the 9 characteristics of an authentic Montessori Nursery:

Child Centered Environment
Our focus is on children learning within small groups or individually.

Focus on Individual Progress and Development
Each child is viewed as unique and proceeds at his own pace.

Spontaneous Activity
Children are encouraged to move about freely and explore their surroundings within clearly defined limits.

Freedom Within Limits
The children enjoy freedom of choice within the clearly defined ground rules set by our teachers within the classroom

Active Learning
The curriculum selects subjects which interest the child, are of academic importance and aimed at long-term progress. Students may choose to work with material that may take weeks or months to master and then are encouraged to share their knowledge with the other students.

Self-Directed Activity
The children are encouraged to master things on their own. They are encouraged to put on and take off their own shoes, put their own papers away, put away their materials, and to make choices on their own. By fostering their independence they become more self-directed.

Responsive Prepared Environment
Our environment meets the needs of the children. Small tables and, chairs, shelves placed at the childrens' level so they can explore and master their environment. We choose materials based on the abilities of the children in our group and change them frequently to stimulate their minds.

Hands on Learning
Our learning materials are real things the children can touch and learn from. We utilize concrete models that allow for children to better understand abstract concepts and the environment.

Intrinsic Motivation to Learn
By setting up a visually stimulating environment and providing interesting activities to explore we help foster the child's intrinsic motivation to learn. The goal of our Montessori program is to encourage children to become mature capable adults who have the ability to create, learn and communicate ideas - to fully participate in whatever their future holds.

Montessori Curriculum
We apply the Montessori philosophy and method to prepare our children for success in formal education, but beyond that for a lifetime of learning and creative thinking. A highly organized, yet individually flexible curriculum allows for the accommodation of varying academic capabilities. Our curriculum includes the 6 areas of Montessori education integrated for the total development of your child.

Practical Life
Practical Life exercises motivate and enable children to care for themselves, for others and the environment. Activities include many tasks which children see as part of their every day life: pouring, spooning, sweeping floors, tying shoe laces, buttoning shirts, arranging flowers. Through these and other activities such as transferring objects using tongs, tweezers or a baister, children develop both large and small muscle co-ordination, hand eye co-ordination and how to explore their surroundings. They learn to work at a task from beginning to end, develop their will, self discipline and the ultimately acheiving total concentration. Elements of social interaction are introduced with the exercises of grace and courtesy and respectful ways of communicating greetings and manners.

Sensorial
This area helps to refine the child's senses and introduces algebra and geometry. Sensorial materials isolate individual qualities such as colour, size, shape, weight, texture, and sound. It is the indirect preparation for the decimal system.

Language
Our language program helps to expand, auditory, speaking and writing language skills. Children are taught sounds of letters through touch, sound and sight. We begin with lots of pre-literacy activities such as matching, sorting, sequencing, categorizing and classifying and learning that words are made up of sounds. We then show what those sounds look like and soon the children are putting the sounds together to build words, then reading those words back. This phonetic knowledge is the foundation of the Montessori reading and writing program. Children not only learn to read early, but they develop a love of reading which is invaluable to future learning.

Mathematics
Montessori mathematics begins with quantities and numeration which the child learns from handling and manipulating beautifully designed materials. This leads to the fundamentals of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and the understanding of the number system. The child works with concrete objects and eventually moving onto abstract calculations.

Cultural
Cultural education enriches the children's understanding of all aspects of the world around them. This area introduces the child to many different subjects. It includes Geography, History, Zoology, Botany and Science. Examples of materials covered in Culture are land forms, countries of the world, continents, flags, elements of nature, current events, living/non-living things, plants and animals, parts of living things, life cycles, seasons, experiments, time measurement and basic physics, Health issues are also introduced such as nutrition, food groups and exercises.

Creativity
Creativity is presented in art, music and movement and extensions of the sensorial and language activities. The art activities change often, usually corresponding to a theme. Music is introduced in 2 ways, one is during circle-time everyday where the children love to sing and move. The other is in music sessions. Role play, play corners and general play are also important facets of creative development.