Introduction to our programme

The P&J Montessori Classroom is a calm, beautiful and well-ordered environment where children are free to choose and work on activities at their own pace. 

Prepared Environment

The school uses an open layout that has accessible child-sized furniture, pockets of work spaces, and materials that have been scientifically designed. The materials are displayed for free choice of activity. Children are invited to use these materials to explore on two levels - 1. practical skills 2. for the abstract concepts that reveal themselves through their scientific design. Such explorations are initiated through the teacher’s minimalist presentations, followed by the child’s manual manipulation. The materials have been designed to be self correcting so that children are able to discover resolutions independently. This fosters a self-directed learning that is first done individually before working with peers or in a group.

The environment also consists of the Montessori philosophy that underpins the culture of the school. Freedom within discipline is a balance that P&J teachers are committed to upholding. Freedom is not complete liberty to do what one wants to do. It is not an impulsive, spontaneous reaction but a careful guidance of the child’s creative potential. One can only be free when one knows what is good for him and directs himself towards positive development. Instead of correction, children are redirected away from behaviour that does not lead towards their positive development. Similarly, if materials are misused, the activity is stopped and children are redirected to another activity. While it seems counter-intuitive, the boundaries and discipline create freedom by clarifying expectations and setting limits. This gives children a clear understanding of consequences and learn how to make choices for themselves.

Mixed Ages  

Children at P&J are not segregated into classrooms by age. With the open layout, children between 2.5 and 6 years work alongside and with each other. This type of interaction mimics a mini community where the older children exercise leadership skills in guiding the younger children or showing them how work is done. Conversely. the younger children learn by observing what the older children do. At times, the observations made are so intent that after watching, they are able to work on the activity with little guidance from the teacher.

Three Hour Work Cycle

One of Montessori’s observations about children and their pattern of engagement was that if they were left uninterrupted to do their work, it would proceed in a three hour cycle. Hence, to adapt to the pace of the child, our environment offers 2 of these cycles - one in the morning and one after lunch. It is observed that during the three hours, children ease into different types of work according to their needs. Interestingly, at the start of the cycle, children prefer to work with materials that they are familiar with to get into the rhythm of the day. After having transitioned from the outside to the environment in school, a period of busy-ness follows where they might move around looking for activities to do. At this time, teachers might be giving presentations to children or redirecting children towards purposeful activities. After this busy-ness, what follows is a period described by Montessori as “false fatigue” where the children appear to be restless and tired. In actual fact, it is observed that children use this time to integrate what they have been learning, following which, they might choose an activity of greater importance that leads to deeper exploration. With this freedom to choose what to work with and how to be, children are able to fulfil their potential according to their own timetables so that development follows their individual pace.