Montessori - seeds of knowledge in Etoy, A bilingual approach to education in an environment where students can flourish
To find out more about this atypical school for children aged three to 15, we talked to Marie Littman, who along with her husband Daniel Littman is its founder and co-director.
Who was Maria Montessori and what is her educational method? Maria Montessori was the first woman doctor in Italy. With a degree in biology, psychology and philosophy - a rare thing at that time - this exceptional woman was a pioneer in the observation and understanding of children. In 1907, drawing on the knowledge she had acquired through her studies and her experiences as a teacher, she founded the first "children's house" in the district of San Lorenzo, a very poor suburb of Rome where she worked with children. Her experiment was an instant success and word spread beyond the borders of Italy. The world’s press came to cover her work with children and to try and unlock the secret of her methods. Maria Montessori proved to the world that what achieved great results was not a question of materials, but a way of working with the children. She said: “Children are unique individuals: in order to learn, they must feel accepted, loved, secure and part of an environment that encourages, nurtures and supports them.” This is the "Montessori method” in a nutshell. How does Montessori pedagogy work in your school? At Montessori - Seeds of Knowledge we offer an environment conducive to the development of the child. Our recognised alternative education method is based on self-confidence, autonomy and gentle experimentation and learning. The school's philosophy is not only to help children achieve their academic goals, but also to instil a respect and admiration for the world around them and to stimulate their curiosity, senses and development. In order to do this, each of our students is guided throughout their learning, to allow them to explore and learn at all times with a personalised and bilingual French/English approach. What is it that enables you to get good results? In 2022, we moved into a new building, specially designed to meet the needs and specifications of the education we provide. We work with the children in beautiful, spacious classrooms bathed in light, with a garden, a vegetable patch and access to the forest. This means our students can be in contact with nature while they are learning and as a result they are happy. According to Montessori pedagogy, a way of measuring the relevance of an educational model is a child’s level of happiness. We are also proud to work with a team of teachers who are highly qualified in early years learning and the Montessori method. All staff and management share the same values. We work together and communicate harmoniously to make this model a success for our students’ education. In addition, before enrolment, the school’s management takes care to carefully establish an individual relationship with each family. This makes it possible to better answer questions, to explain how Montessori pedagogy is applied in the classroom and to create a climate of trust. For more information, contact the school directly using the contact form on its website : www.montessori-seeds.ch. If you would like to arrange a visit, telephone 079 864 66 33.