children as co-creators of knowledge
We are an innovative full-time & part time English/Spanish early years program.
Children at Kido Care gain a positive understanding of the world based on the Montessori philosophy integrated with the latest approaches in early childhood education, including Reggio Emilia and constructivist methods. This new concept of early childhood education supports bilingualism based on a balanced distribution of power and school leadership. We promote high quality assessment practices such as on-going documentation by involving all stakeholders in education: community, parents, students, teachers, and administrators. Families and children from all cultures, religions, and languages are welcome. Children do not need to speak neither English nor Spanish in order to be accepted into the program. Kido Care environment is welcoming and open-minded in terms of languages and cultures. Students are exposed to different areas and are also invited to engage in learning from diverse multilingual and multicultural educators. Students are treated as unique individuals without standardized outcomes, thus they can work at their own pace without competing with peers. The freedom Kido Care educators promote in classrooms allow students to work on their own interests encouraging confidence, uniqueness, and high self-esteem leading to success in their life journey.
We see children as capable human beings as well as co-creators of knowledge who are ready to experience many opportunities to learn, re-think and also re-learn concepts as well as construct new ideas with creativity and freedom. Our image of the child is one of a confident, capable person. Our school is not a place of transmission of knowledge; rather it is an environment that allows the child to be a producer of culture and knowledge—the child is seen as knowledge maker.
We ensure kids self-confidence, emotional, social, intellectual, physical and spiritual growth. We believe in the learning of values such as honesty, respect, unconditional love, sensitivity to others, kindness, friendliness, compassion, self–reliance, self-discipline, moderation, the values of being; independency,and fairness.
Why Montessori?
We believe Maria Montessori was a highly spiritual being with advanced knowledge as well as inner wisdom who managed to expand her method across the world despite the lack of Wi-Fi, the freedom of speech and gender equality our new generation luckily experiences today. She showed us sacred geometry using a different vocabulary which reached the poor and the elite. If we are capable of reading between lines, we could sense some sort of spirituality connected to science and the harmonious interconnection of human and nature she fostered.
The community holds a strong & enhanced vision of the Child
Who is Dr. Maria Montessori?
She was the first female physician in the world who turned educator. This ingenious Italian woman spent many years observing and working with children. In this process, she built on some of the ideas of others who had worked with kids and she also refined her own ideas, materials, and methods. Her anthropologist and engineering training helped her to shape the Montessori methodology, and her studies of medicine provided her the foundation for understanding how the brain and humans develop at early stages in life. She spent more than 50 years developing a program where children could learn the skills they needed to eventually become responsible, productive, independent, self-confident, as well as, conscious citizens of the world.
What is the Montessori Method?
Montessori classrooms provide a well planned and ‘prepared environment’ where children are free to respond to their natural tendency to play. Children usually have mixed age groups and spend years with the same educator, they progress at their own pace and rhythm, according to their individual capabilities with no need of competition. Kids learn from active, hands-on activities that draw on all senses. Rewards and punishments are not promoted Learning materials are meant to be interesting, reality oriented, and designed to facilitate self-correcting, helping to refine sensory perceptions.
Maria Montessori believed that the most important period of life is from birth to the age of six as this is the time when intelligence is being formed. She also stated that early stimulation is very important for success in later development. Children have a natural desire of learning, and that the sense of accomplishment that comes from this process is the basis of self-confidence necessary for independence. Montessori schools have existed on a global level under a variety of cultures as an evidence of the Montessori pedagogy universality. In January 2000, the Calgary Board of Education approved the Montessori Alternative Program by offering three public schools.
The child’s sensibility to absorb language is so great that he can acquire foreign languages at this age.
What is the Reggio-inspired philosophy?
Reggio Emilia is a city in northern Italy. Its educational approach theory is based on Piaget, constructivism, Vygosky, Dewey, among others. A visionary Italian male teacher, Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994), founded the system, which was further developed with parents as a cooperative movement and now influences many schools, educators and leaders around the world. Educators, parents, and children began working together after World War II to reconstruct society and build an exemplary system of municipal preschools and infant-toddler centers. Reggio schools offer an emergent curriculum, which is not planned in advance but based on children’s interests and experiences. Learning is active and project oriented with an ‘Atelierista’ as part of the team, a special teacher trained in the arts, and also an ‘Atelier’’, an art/design studio used by children and teachers. Our educators see each child as a talented being that offers prompts for curriculum design.
What to expect from educators and students in our school?
Educators may ask parents to bring real objects from home, as well as use of natural and recycling materials. Educators at Kido Care work collaboratively with each other organizing environments full of alternatives and provocations. We act as a recorder for the children, helping them express themselves through arts and actions as well as document art pieces and moments shared in class so they can learn by revisiting past experiences. We see ourselves as a provocation engaging in dialogue to create hypothesis and open-ended projects starting from a strong and enhanced vision of the child.
A Note from the heart
A Canadian learning space where Montessori continues grounding educators’ philosophy harmoniously combined and inspired by the latest early childhood education approaches such as Reggio Emilia research becomes now a REALITY.
We are proud to introduce a NEW and EVOLVED program to our community, to our supporting families and our young students. We are thankful and blessed. We are transforming our present as well as making a difference in the world.
Thank you for following us and supporting us as we keep ourselves updated on the latest research on early childhood education. Our authentic learning space ‘Kido Care’ at Hotel Arts evolves each day and we are delighted to have YOU in our journey.
How Reggio Emilia philosophy is capable to co-exist harmoniously with the Montessori approach as well as become adaptable to a new educational era? The key answer lies on the space, the team of educators, as well as all stakeholders’ involvement in education.
This combination brings a deeper and universal interpretation of what our diverse world, especially our Canadian learning spaces truly embrace. We have envisioned a combination of more than one approach, which allows art to express itself and children express through the arts.
This design continues promoting freedom, which is based on the child’s ability to attain control over her mind and body by becoming cognitively independent and socially inter-dependent while understanding and connecting to their true inner essence.
I personally relate to parents’ needs and rights when seeking for the best quality in early education and childcare since I’ve experienced this myself when I’ve moved continents with two young souls. As an early childhood passionate, yoga for kids instructor, spiritual and scientific believer in inner wisdom and super human powers, lifelong learner as well as mother of two young beings I had an opportunity to re-think my educational practice as well as lifestyle.
I have found myself on a path with endless possibilities to re-learn and re-think where there is a lot of room for improvement.
With Gratitude and Love,
Adriana Ferrari, Kido Care Founder
