Teacher Joanna Fowler interacts with student Zoe Daniele ChingSang, at the Liceo Montessori school in Reading, Montego Bay.

WESTERN BUREAU:

Laura Alvarado's conviction tells her that any child is perfect for education. For her, too, a pivotal role must be played by parents committed to empowering their children with what is learnt at school.

The Montessori-trained teacher and owner of Montego Bay's bilingual school, constantly uses the words of a woman who has influenced her choice of education for her son, Lucas Zion, and the students enrolled at the Liceo Montessori in Reading, St James.

"From the moment the child enters the classroom, each step in his education is seen as a progressive building block, ultimately forming the whole person, in the emergence from childhood to adulthood. All focus is on the needs of the child," she recapped, the teaching borrowed from Montessori founder, Italian educator, Dr Maria Montessori, whose methodology has proven any child can learn outside the traditional classroom.

Comprehensive approach

Mrs Alvarado and husband, Tristan, a Spanish-Jamaican businessman, are so impressed with the 19th and early 20th century way of learning, they have pumped millions of dollars into the school, which opened in September 2008. It has 30 children, ages ranging from three to eight. As at September 2009, the school will accept older children.

Montessori is a comprehensive educational approach from birth to adulthood based on the observation of children's needs in a variety of cultures all around the world. It is the second school of its type to be opened in Jamaica in the last 30 years.

One distinguishing feature of Montessori at the pre-school age is that children direct their own learning, choosing among the sections of a well-structured and stocked classroom, including practical life (fine and gross motor-skill development); sensorial (sensory and brain development); language, mathematics, geography, science and art. The role of a teacher is to introduce the children to materials and then remain a 'silent presence' in the classroom.

"Jamaica deserves to have options and the Montessori system is one of the best in the USA, Spain, the Netherlands, Singapore and all over the world, so why not Jamaica?" asked Mrs Alvarado.

Full scholarships

Her quest to provide education, for even those who would not be able to afford the $100,000 per term school fee, prompted her to offer five full scholarships in the first year. Two of the recipients, children of her gardener, Orville Dixon, are her students.

"Only one member of my family received high school education, and that person had no hope of attending university because it was too expensive," acknowledged the Hanoverian, whose life has experienced total transformation.

Dixon's children are being exposed to the highly hands-on approach to learning, which encourages children to develop their observation skills by doing many types of activities.

Achievement measurements

Accustomed to the traditional way of learning, he sees how the Montessori method discourages conventional measurements of achievement (grades, tests) under the premise that it is damaging to the inner growth of children (and adults). "Feedback and qualitative analysis of a child's performance does exist but is usually provided in the form of a list of skills, activities and critical points, and sometimes a narrative of the child's achievements, strengths and weaknesses, with emphasis on the improvement of those weaknesses," explained Laura Alvarado.

Set on nine acres of prime ocean-view property, the school offers yoga, drama and Spanish as part of daily learning. An enriching list of extra-curricular activities, coordinated by Montego Bay's best, Natasha Parchment-Clarke and Mackeda Solomon, includes dance (African, Popular, Contemporary, Salsa), Music (keyboard, recorder, drums, voice, guitar), swimming and art (fine art, sculpture, painting).

Janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com

Teacher of the three-to-six age group, Ffrenchie Taylor, has her young students outdoor doing extra-curricular activities. - photos by Janet Silvera

From left: Rae Prout, Sabrina Stanley, Rachel Azan and Luke Clarke, students of the Liceo Montessori school in Reading, Montego Bay.

Laura Alvarado (right), her son Lucas and husband Tristan outside the Liceo Montessori school in Reading, Montego Bay.

Special features

Providing in an atmosphere that is pleasant and attractive to allow children to learn, Liceo Montessori's programme:

Children between the ages of three, four, and five are placed in the same class, while those six, seven and eight are grouped in another.

"Each human being has his own rhythm, and this system works perfectly to build confidence and leadership," said Mrs Laura Alvarado.