Kericho Montessori School International
Kericho Montessori School International is located in Kericho town, behind Kericho Green Stadium. Our school is founded on the philosophy of Dr. Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori, more popularly known as simply Maria Montessori.
Maria Montessori’s education
Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator who lived between 1870 and 1952. After her early and secondary education, she joined the University of Rome where she studied Medicine. In 1896 she graduated as a doctor of medicine having studied pediatrics and psychiatry in her last two years in university. She later on returned to the same university as a student of philosophy, a course which included the study of psychology then but she didn’t graduate. She also independently studied educational philosophy and anthropology and also conducted observations and experimental research in elementary schools.
Maria Montessori’s work
After her first period of study in the university of Rome, Maria Montessori started working as a voluntary assistant in the same university’s psychiatric clinic. She continued researching on children experiencing mental retardation, illness, or disability. She did this by by mostly observing children with mental disabilities. The observations she made were fundamental to her future work in education.
She also traveled, gave speeches, wrote and published books nationally and internationally. Because of that, she became recognized as a prominent advocate for women’s rights and education for mentally disabled children. She also worked as a councilor to the National League for the Protection of Retarded Children, a board member of the National League and as a lecturer in hygiene and anthropology at one of the teacher-training colleges for women in Italy.
After her second stint at the University of Rome, Maria Montessori continued with her research and work with children. She got the chance to implement her ideas which had previously been designed for children with disabilities, on normal children. This happened when she started overseeing the care and education of children of working class parents in Rome in 1906. Her interaction and observation of the children was a further research period for her. She used it to refine her educational method and philosophy.
Montessori school practices
She implemented a number of practices that were based on her observation. These practices became the hallmarks of the Montessori educational philosophy and method. Up to today, they are observed in every Montessori school. She started by replacing the heavy furniture with child sized chairs and tables that were light enough for the children to move. She then placed child sized materials on shelves that were low enough to be accessed by children.
The range of practical activities carried out by the children was narrow and included few activities like sweeping and personal care. Maria Montessori expanded them to include a wide variety of exercises for the care of self and the environment. The newly introduced activities included arranging of flowers, washing hands, gymnastics, taking care of pets and cooking among others.
She also redesigned the first Montessori school classrooms to include large open air sections where children were encouraged to move around as they please.
Montessori school lessons book
Maria Montessori later on wrote a book in which she outlined a typical day of lessons that should be followed in a Montessori school starting at nine in the morning and ending at four in the afternoon. The lessons are arranged as follows;
- 09:00 am to 10:00 am
- Entrance
- Greetings
- Personal cleanliness inspection
- Practical life exercises like helping each other to take off or put on aprons, making sure that everything in the classroom is dusted and in order
- Language exercises where children converse and give accounts of the events of the previous day
- Religious exercises like praying
- 10:00 am to 11:00 am
- Intellectual exercises
- Objective lessons interspersed with short rest periods
- Nomenclature
- Sense exercises
- 11:00 am to 11:30 am
- Simple gymnastics comprising of ordinary movements done gracefully, normal positioning of the body, walking and matching in line, salutations and movements that call for attention and graceful placing of objects.
- 11:30 am to 12:00 pm
- Lunch and short prayers
- 12:00 pm to 01:00 pm
- Free games – these are games that are only observed but not directed by teachers unless absolutely necessary.
- 01:00 pm to 02:00 pm
- Directed games – these are games that are directed by teachers. They are most preferably done in open air spaces. During these periods, the older children are directed to participate in practical life activities like cleaning of rooms, dusting and putting items in order. Inspection for cleanliness is done and conversation is encouraged.
- 02:00 pm to 03:00 pm
- Manual work – during this period children engage in manual work for example clay modeling, design etc.
- 03:00 pm to 04:pm
- Collective singing and gymnastics – this is most preferably done the open air spaces.
- Exercises to develop forethought for example visiting and taking care of plants and animals.
Refining the Montessori method
Maria Montessori felt that children could gain self motivation to reach new higher levels of understanding and autonomy by working independently. She also came to believe treating children as individuals would lead to better learning and fulfilled potential in each of them. She continued her research and observation which led to adapting and refining the materials and practices she had created earlier. She altered or removed materials and practices that were less frequently chosen by learners.
Montessori school near me
If you live in Kericho and you are looking for a Montessori school near you, Kericho Montessori School International is your best choice. As you will learn if you browse through our website we observe the Montessori method of education and curriculum fully.
Montessori criticism
Most of the criticism directed at the Montessori method of education is born of lack of knowledge of how it operates. We encourage you to research more about this child-centered method of education and you will learn that it’s one of the best methods of education if you want your child to turn out as a self motivated achiever.
Montessori school cost
The cost of educating your child in a Montessori school depends on the individual school. There are very many factors that determine how much you will be charged. To know our rates, go to our Contact us page and send us an inquiry and we will get back to you with information about how we charge.
Montessori curriculum
At Kericho Montessori School International, we follow a Montessori curriculum that you can read more about on our Curriculum page.
Montessori school fees Kenya
School fees charged by Montessori schools in Kenya differ per school. The different conditions and factors under which the individual schools we set up and are run determine the amount of school fees charged. The best ay to know the charges per school is to contact the schools that interest you. As for us you can contact us by clicking here.