A Montessori approach...

The nursery and kindergarten occupy the front house and the large well equipped playground that lies in front and on one side of it. The whole outdoor area is laid out as open classrooms. There are walled ones where children are taught in small groups or individually (for a short period of 15 to 20mn) when they don't watch educational programs or nap there. Children follow a loose schedule with a circle to start the day, a circle at mid-morning and another one at 3 o'clock. In between, they choose their own activities and, as we mentioned, those who are ready are taught individually or in small groups.

There are fifty children aged 14 months to 5 years old, most of them are Khmer. They are looked after by seven teachers and assistant teachers. The children are not grouped by age. True to the Montessori principle, at this level, the children are vertically grouped, e.g. we let children of different age groups play and work together to foster observation, emulation, cooperation and social skills. Children learn best when they feel free. They learn best by observing and replicating what they have observed. They learn best when they are happy and when they are not under pressure. A Montessori classroom is like a home for the children. We follow the child and not the other way round.

Click here to learn more about the Montessori education.

What do children learn?

In Nursery and Kindergarten children learn English. They only learn to speak and interact. We do not pressure them to write or read. What we do is teach them to be aware of phonemes. At around five, children begin their reading curve, starting with alphabet, going on to blend two sounds, then three sounds. By 6, children can read three letter words and some sight words. Between 6 and 7, the emphasis is on reading competency. At the same time, children start to write. The guiding principle in teaching literacy is that children should face one challenge at a time.

Mathematics are taught using the Montessori apparatus to build a solid foundation for mathematical concepts. It is easy for children to recite numbers by rote. Understanding the concepts is entirely another matter. The Montessori apparatus makes learning numbers easy and enjoyable. It is amazing how fast our six year olds grasp numbers up to thousands and can add and subtract three, four figure numbers. And they enjoy doing it!

Part time children go home at 12pm. Full time children eat lunch at school; food is freshly cooked in the school kitchen. After lunch, children have a nap until 1.45pm. They then wake up to have a shower before resuming work. The afternoons are more structured with specific activities for each day - science experiment, game, cooking, art and craft etc.

Find out about primary school.