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| Sunday, 25 January 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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La Petite Fleur Montessori : A new concept in nursery education by LAKMAL WELABADA **** Bernidine Anderson, the founder Director of La Petite Fleur is the pioneer of a new concept in nursery education in Sri Lanka. Today, Bernidine is a Montessori teacher in the US who follows the AMI method, while updating her knowledge by attending workshops and seminars conducted by Dr. Sylvana Monteranno, the grand daughter of Maria Montessori. on her annual visits to Sri Lanka Bernidine continually improves the standards at La Petite Fleur, which she considers "half of her soul." **** A free place to grow up with a strong yet peaceful mind would be considered a heaven for little ones. La Petite Fleur Montessori at Pirivena Road, Ratmalana provides just such a place. As you enter, through its main gate you could see the glee on the faces of the little angels who have been left by their parents at 8.30 a.m. in the caring hands of the teachers. The little fairies spend two and a half precious hours in this different world until 11.00 am. La Petite is not just another nursery school. What's the difference? "Until last year we admitted children from two and a half years, and they have been staying with us until five. But from this January, we introduced a new concept for the little ones between 15 months and 2 1/2 years. We call this group 'The Infant Pedagogy' (the young children's community)," said Rochelle Tisaaratchy, the teacher-in-charge of the young one's group using the new concept. "Aren't they babies and how do you handle them?" "Well, that's a challenge. The little ones of this age have not even got toilet training. We have toilets attached to the class with lower commodes. We instruct the parents not to dress the child with pampers, but with loose comfortable clothes and footwear so that we can change them easily. We also ask for four changes to keep in the class. And when they soil themselves, we never say 'eek', that's ugly etc. It's something coming out of their body, and we don't let the child feel dirty about it. We just calm down the child and kindly tell him/her to go to the bathroom when he/she wants to go the next time. We have assistants to clean the child and the place. So little by little they get used to going to the toilet. Flushing out the `things' that came out from their body in the commode makes them so excited," laughed Rochelle. A challenge The little ones in the Infant Pedagogy start their first week in the Montessori with their parents who stay outside the class. From the second week they stay alone (without parents around them). They come to school for the first day of the second week only for a half an hour. Second day it will be extended to 45 minutes, and third day it would be 1 1/2 hours. In this way they get used to staying with the teacher whom they call 'my darling aunty'. The teacher acts as their mentor for the whole 2 1/2 hours, the full day of the school. At the entrance to the classroom, a wooden cubical rack stands for the little group to place their shoes. Each one owns a cubical with his/her photo pasted inside for them to recognise their own. The child centred classroom doesn't impose any rigid routine. He/she can sit, relax and watch. The class has plenty of educational toys one from each kind. If others want the same thing, they have to wait until he/she finishes playing or using it. By this the child learns to be patient. Instead of having colourful mythical nursery cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, the walls of the class at La Petite are adorned with natural scenery and educative posters. Use of plastic is minimal. Almost all the toys are made of wood. "This is because we believe that the child should grow up in a natural environment. Feeling the hardness and softness of natural things enhances the knowledge of a child," said Rochelle. The self-dialling telephone, the tiny wooden staircase, wooden abacuses and jigsaw puzzles, thick glass bottles, stainless steel crockery, smoothed stones retrieved from the river beds and aluminium funnels are some of the things kept neatly on the lower shelves of the wooden racks for the small ones to work with and stimulate their mind and hands together. The neatly folded tiny `Pun' mats of 1 x 1/2 metres are kept at one corner. The little ones sit in a circle around the teacher on these mats. No sooner they master the art of folding and unfolding the mats neatly. The snack time is one of the most exciting episodes of the day's activity for the toddlers. The little ones lay the small table with a table cloth, mats and dishes in the way they can; and wait until the teacher peels, cuts and serves the fresh fruits and vegetables. They wait impatiently until they get their turn. But, no grabbing or skipping the queues. Wearing the tiny aprons they wash their hands from the lower wash basins made especially for their convenience. Looking through the small mirror at the wash basin they grin and make funny faces at their reflection. The attractive reading corner comprising children's story books, the painting corner with a white board and paints and toy musical instruments are some of the things in the class of Infant Pedagogy that must also be mentioned. No fancy words or baby words are encouraged in the class. Correct words with exact pronunciation is taught. Singing and dancing is also part of the activities. "Since ours is not an international school, we teach both languages, Sinhala and English. But we tend to stress English since it is a necessity for today's world. And more than the English rhymes which always give the pessimistic and destructive meanings like 'Jack and Jill went up the hill and break their necks' we prefer passing meaningful and optimistic attitudes to the child. We do teach English rhymes, but 'Danno Budunge, 'Siripade Samanala Kanda', 'Pinsiduwanne' and 'Mage Sudu Hawa' are some of the main songs we teach them," said Rochelle. The sand pit and water tap are in an attractive corner in the spacious garden for the toddlers. They get around the teacher to blow soap bubbles and then to catch the silver foam floating in the air. The tyre swings, birds cage and shady trees are surrounded by the giggling mischievous Lilliputians who run freely helter skelter during the time for out-door activities. Montessori The Montessori children are (from 2 1/2 to 5 years) mingle and work together. The elders help the youngsters to go to the toilet, to have the snacks and to handle the toys. "We don't separate the class rooms. By associating with each other they learn social interaction. But we do not let them be a hindrance to others. This method teaches them to live in harmony while building their own personality and gain skills," said Rochelle. Though the toddlers' class is being held four days of the week since the little ones should be more relaxed, the rest of the Montessori is held on all five days. Wednesday is the 'cakes' day' as it is kept for the birthday celebrations. The children whose birthdays fall on that particular week bring cakes to the school on that Wednesday. Kiribath, sandwiches, tea buns and biscuits are the other food items provided by the school for each day. The children learn to serve themselves and eat alone. Instead of zipping cups the little ones start using cup and saucer and prepare to step out in the world. Apart from moulding their tiny minds by learning letters and working with clay, they learn to make a fruit salad, a bowl of noodles, rotti and pancakes at their cooking project in the child friendly pantry. "Child phycology is considered very important at La Petite. We never push a child saying 'do this or do that'. If one is not in a mood to work he/she can just sit and watch. But we keep a close eye on each of them. We teach them letters from Montessori level. Once they are out they are ready for writing, reading and relating their own stories both in English and Sinhala," said Viro Goonetilleke of La Petite Fleur . La Petite Fleur consists of seven teachers and seven assistants. Each Montessori class has 25-26 children. The toddlers' class (Infant Pedagogy) comprises only 15 little ones. In the final year of the school, the child gets an optional extended hour until 3.00 pm. During this period, the child learns some extra activity like swimming and music. In addition, a one on one special class for slow learners is also held in the evenings. When about to depart after a brief interview with Rochelle and Viro and spending a few hours with tiny tots we heard the singing of the National Anthem. The small ones in the Montessori class were standing smartly in a circle with their teachers and singing 'Namo Namo Matha' with lot of pride on their face. And the toddlers sang their 'Good bye' song with Rochelle and disappeared at the gate with the parent or grand parent who came to accompany them. 'La Petite Fleur is a help to life.' I re-read the board at the entrance when coming out of the main gate of the Montessori, a place which provides love of the child, with caring and freedom too. |
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