Chap Goh Mei Celebration with Children at St Nicholas Montessori Centres

Other activities were Music & Movement Sessions, colouring competition, craft work, face painting, games and so on. Chinese delicacies like chicken rice, pomelos, mandarin oranges, and so on were seen most enjoyed by the parents and their children.

“Having the Chinese delicacies on our Open Day is actually a good way to teach the children about this meaningful Chinese festive season – Chinese New Year. They learn about what kind of food is related to the Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali and so on,” said Lim.

When asked, Lim explained “Children have huge potential to learn and as a teacher, sowing seeds of learning when the children are most interested is very essential. Because of this, we present the information in the form of activities that involve all the children and we make sure that our activities are interesting to grab the attention of the children. Through these activities, children and have fun playing and leaning at the same time.”

“Education of character is considered equally with academic education, children learning to take care of themselves, their environment, each other – cooking, cleaning, building, gardening, moving gracefully , speaking politely, being considerate and helpful, doing social work in the community and so on,” added Lim.

When asked, Lim explained further “The environment is arranged according to subject area, and children are always free to move around the room instead of staying at desks. There is no limit to how long a child can work with a piece of material. At any one time in a day all subjects like sciences, history and so on will be studied.”

The Montessori curriculum is enriched by the thematic approach employed. The themes that will be featured in St. Nicholas Montessori Centres in 2007 are the people and the countries which explores about the planet earth and the “Continents” and the fascinating animals, people, festival, clothing, transportation, landmarks, artifacts and plants that can be found on earth.

The themes will be carried out through games, activities, melody and languages through integrated moral, mathematics, science, music, art and so on.

“In addition, children will be given localized activities, worksheets, workbooks and exercise books. This is to help them explore the curriculum better,” said Lim.

SNMC offers beyond just kindergarten or nursery services. Its curriculum ensures that children develop physically, intellectually, socially, emotionally and spiritually – the whole child.

“ Research studies show that Montessori children are well prepared for later life academically socially and emotionally. In addition to scoring well on standardized tests, Montessori children are ranked above average on such criteria as following directions, turning in work on time, listening attentively, using basic skills, showing responsibilities, asking provocative questions, showing enthusiasm for learning, and adapting to new situations,” said Lim.

It aims to develop a healthy and psychologically fulfilled child who is confident to approach the challenges of life, and cultivate positive study habits and an enthusiasm for learning. Montessori children tend to be more independent, self discipline and responsible in action and thought, both within and outside the classroom.

SNMC are now open for registration for the infant and toddler, nursery and kindergarten classes. To find out more about our programme and how to enroll your child for a Montessori experience, please call SNMC centres at USJ13 (03-56369566), USJ19 (80241626), Bandar Utama (03-77252702), Klang (03-33727549), Malacca (06-2816102), Penang (04-6580133) and Head Office (03-86001888)