As you enter the Little Scholars Montessori Strandherd location in Ottawa, you are greeted by bright colours separating the different sections of students. The walls are lined with active learning materials to enhance fine motor activities and prepare children for future development. Little Scholars Montessori aims to create distinctive environments for children where they are encouraged to explore, create, learn, socialise, and celebrate their unique talents.
The curriculum takes a global perspective by combining the Montessori Method, which allows children to learn at their own pace in a comfortable, warm, and stimulating environment, with best educational practices focusing on language, arts, mathematics, science, geography, and culture. Little Scholars Montessori education promotes the development of the whole child,aiming to help each child reach his/her full potential in all areas of life so that children may become positive, confident and responsible individuals, lifelong learners, and problem solvers.
The Little Scholars Montessori philosophy focuses on some of the following pillars: that parents and teachers are partners working together for the benefit of each child; that each child has a unique nature and, with that, the capacity to become a successful learner; and that promoting opportunities for self-discipline and the development of a child’s inner resources will enhance self-esteem. Outside of the classroom, Little Scholars Montessori aims to create memorable and tangible learning experiences through other activities such as field trips, dramatic plays, talent shows, parent presentations, and environmental projects.
The school offers three programs for parents to choose from: a toddler program, a casa program, and a KG program. The toddler program (12 months-2.5 yeas) provides the child with a period of self-development and learning self-help and social skills. This includes active learning materials to enhance fine muscle activities which prepare toddlers for future development.
The learning is conducted in a nurturing atmosphere that follows the natural rhythm and needs of the child.
The Casa Program (2.5- 4 years) develops the building blocks for learning in a Montessori based environment that fosters all areas of development-intellectuals, physical, emotional and social. Little Scholars Montessori strongly believes that a stimulating, language rich, social learning environment is an imperative part of early development.
The KG Program (4-6 years) aims to prepare students with the skill set for future schooling and to create a smooth and successful transition to elementary school. A distinctive factor that sets the Little Scholars Montessori KG Program apart from public school is the teacher to child ratio. Little Scholars Montessori maintains a 1-8 or 1-10 ratio compared to a 1-20 ration in other KG programs. The lower ratio allows the teachers to focus on each child individually and to prepare them for an invaluable foundation of lasting academic and social skills as well as the knowledge to succeed in a traditional elementary classroom.
Finally, Little Scholars Montessori schools are committed to developing in their students a sense of responsibility and interdependence with their community and the world.
