For those with royal blood, only the best will do. That’s why the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge enrolled their child, Prince George, at Westacre Montessori school nursery in Norfolk, UK. But then, any parent will tell you the same: only the best school for their kids will do. Or at least, for those of us without royal blood, the best we can find. But the Montessori method is a teaching approach that does not belong to one learning establishment, let alone one preferred by royals. In the Philippines, we also have Montessori schools. So, if royals choose to enroll their kids in Montessori schools, so can you.

One of the pioneers of Montessori education in the Philippines is Montessori De San Juan, run by Sandy Arellano. Most of us are parents who grew up, or had to bear with, traditional methods of teaching can appreciate the Montessori approach.

Non-Traditional But Effective

The Montessori method, developed by Maria Montessori in the early 1900s, aims for personal development (instead of rote memorization), focuses on individual progress (and discourages exams and resulting grades), is comfortable with a liberal style of teaching (as opposed to a tone of there will be consequences if you do not obey the teacher), and can include mixed-age classrooms (unlike the usual same-age-group assembly line teaching). It also meets the needs of disabled and special children.

Play, Discover, Learn

Via the Montessori method, a child learns from a “discovery” model, where he or she works with materials (and learns concepts in the process) instead of via textbook spoon-feeding. The method also works with various types of learners – the visual, tactile, auditory. It’s easier to spot what kind of learner a child is in a smaller classroom – each class at Montessori De San Juan is populated with 12-15 students per class, with only one section per level.

Montessori De San Juan – Lifelong Lessons

Just like Westacre’s class structure, Montessori De San Juan foregoes book-based classes and the repetitive drills. Areas of study are interwoven, subjects are linked to one another, unlike in the traditional approach where one subject is kept separate from another, as if overlaps where not possible. Knowledge is not something remembered like a list and thrown away after class, instead it’s experienced, its relevance to everything else discovered. “Our students are not only provided with an exemplary set of academic tools, but the wisdom, integrity, and compassion to use it for the benefit of others as well,” Sandy Arellano said.

A Royal Education is Within Your Reach

Montessori De San Juan provides progressive, experience-based and student-centered education. Get your child the same royal education as Prince George. Montessori De San Juan now accepts applicants up to Senior High School. Enrollment for all levels for school year 2016-2017 is until May 31. For more information about Montessori De San Juan, call 239-1102/725-6306, or visit their website at www.montessoridesanjuan.com.

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