Ayelet Montessori

"When the child goes out, it is the world itself that offers itself to him." - Maria Montessori In a Montessori environment, and according to Dr. Montessori herself, exploring the outdoors is a very important extension of the indoor environment.  Every Friday, is scheduled for a visit to the park at Ayelet. We not only play on slides and swings (that is a very important part of our time in the park), but we explore the environment around. We pick flowers and leaves, spot creepy-crawlies, observe, listen to stories, discuss and enjoy.  On one such visit to the park, children collected rocks and stones, back in Ayelet, we learned how to clean these stones. We followed it with discussing about the colours, shapes, size, etc. Once, we spotted a butterfly in our porch (which is such a rare sight now-a-days). We went on to read Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and discussed the life-cycle of a butterfly.  A child picked flowers on one such v...

Ours is a land of diversity and that is the beauty of our country. The harmony and love with which a large part of our society lives, embracing all the uniqueness and differences is what makes India truly amazing. We have so many customs, festivals and rituals in our country. We should should help our child be a part of these celebrations.  Montessori is a method which is extremely adaptable and embraces all rituals.  In a Montessori, festivals and holidays form an integral part of our cultural curriculum. For us, festivals are cultural celebrations and not religious. Children focus on traditions and rituals while celebrating. When we celebrate a festival, its about the customs, the clothes and the traditional food. As a Montessori school, Ayelet believes in celebrating all holidays with equal enthusiasm. We try to avoid accepting one and ignoring another important festival. All festivals hold equal importance for us.  We share stories and ev...

Meeting parents on a regular basis, has given us a little insight on what goes on in the heads of a the parent when they come to seek admission in Ayelet Montessori (or any Montessori for that matter). They might not ask us directly, but we can see they have some queries, and one of the most common issues is 'Why does my 3 year has to work in a class with 5-6 year olds?' Globally, Montessori classrooms have children across 3 years, be it primary (3-6 years), lower elementary (6-9 years old) or upper elementary (9-12 years old). Here is what Dr. Montessori says about the multi-age setup: “Our schools have shown how children of different ages help one another. The younger ones watch what the older ones are doing and ask all kinds of questions, and the older ones explain. This is really useful teaching, for the way that a five year old interprets and explains things is so much nearer than ours to the mind of a child of three that the little ones learns easily, where...

If you’ve chosen the Montessori method of schooling for your pre-schooler but are wondering which would be an appropriate school, you’ve come to the right place. Tucked away in a cozy nook of Mico Layout is Ayelet Montessori founded by an experienced educator and a passionate advocate of the Montessori pedagogy, Falak Randerian. What makes Ayelet Montessori stand out from the rest of the Montessori schools? 1. Education and care right next door Toddler-hood is when your little ones first step out of their protected environs of home to gain knowledge in a formal space. It is natural for parents to wish for a preschool that is closer to home. They also need one in which their precious ones feel welcomed and loved. Ayelet Montessori is situated in the midst of a residential sector in South Bangalore making it extremely convenient for children to commute. 2. A non-commercial institution Small set-ups exude a feeling of warmth, have a flat hierarchy and are thus able to mainta...

When we envisioned our Montessori, even before we decided on the name, we knew we wanted a place where children can experience a 'TRUE MONTESSORI'. We wanted to give little children, who enter a new world, a place which will be their little home away from home. A place where they explore, learn, feel safe and more than anything a place which helps them shine. We wanted to choose a name that gives away just that and more. Ayelet is a word we chose after going through a lot of names. It is a Hebrew word, which means ‘Brightest Morning Star’. 'Ayelet' defines our goal to create a safe, bright, rich, stimulating school environment for children, which will stay with them for life. Ayelet aims at fostering a community of children, educators and families, to support the optimum development of the child for life. At Ayelet, we are super happy with what we have created. And we would love to reach out to as many young children (and parents) as possible.  ...

When I decided that I will start my own House of Children in 2013, I knew how I wanted it to be; but reality is different. When I launched Ayelet few weeks back, I realized that I have achieved what I wanted to, not exactly but close to what I wanted. The realization didn’t sink in completely and I got busy with ‘spreading around the word’, that is the toughest part of the journey till date. As I wait for those parent tours and registrations, I still know,soon, this place will be buzzing with little ones. What I set out to create? I set out to create a ‘Montessori House of Children’ in the true sense of the word. A warm space where each child gets a respectful, nurturing, joyful, creative, safe, exciting and inspiring environment.  When I meet some parents who do not have any knowledge about Montessori education, I try to show them the various aspects of Montessori education, which make the method so beautiful. It isn’t an easy task, but it is challenging. Then I mee...

Choosing the Right Montessori for your Child It is an extremely daunting task to choose the right Montessori for your child. Fortunately, Bangalore is buzzing with Montessori Houses of Children around the city. There are a few problems associated with the same as well. The term “Montessori” has now become an adjective to attract parents. There are some great Montessori schools out there and a few which have attached the term Montessori for namesake.  Before you decide you’d be choosing a Montessori, you will have to do two things: You have to ask yourself a question: Is the Montessori Method right for you and your family? As Montessori is a way of life, you have to be certain you understand and agree with the same. The first step wouldn’t be complete if you don’t understand the method, hence you have to take out sometime and understand the Montessori Method. To choose the right Montessori you have to 'e xperience it' and then take your decision. You can lo...

Montessori Method is a globally accepted method, and India not only welcomed it with open arms, but made the Montessori Method of education its own. Namma Bengaluru can easily be crowned as the Montessori Hub of India (along with Chennai maybe). The place is buzzing with old and new Montessori House of Children, thanks to the increased awareness about the method among parents.  When parents look at the impact of Montessori Method in the long run, they obviously get attracted to the method. With this rise in the interest of parents in the method, many Montessori schools are now looking at offering elementary Montessori education as well. Thanks to the people in Bangalore who are ready to accept an approach which promises to be the best for their children, Bangalore has Montessori House of Children spread across the city. As parents, we need to be extremely careful when we choose a Montessori for our child. Do check our post on Choosing the Right Montessori for your ...