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Discovery Montessori

Baby Center

Preschool and Daycare

Afterschool

History

WHO WE ARE?

Discovery Kindergarten, located in Sabana Norte, opened its doors on December 2 , 2002 with Mrs. Gloriana Granados as director. Mrs. Granados had already had more than 12 years of experience working with the Montessori philosophy. From the beginning, Discovery had the cooperation and support of Stephanie Vanselow, who is currently a board member of Discovery’s kindergarten in Santa Ana.

In December 2005, Discovery was moved to new premises in the same area to be able to receive children below one year of age. Norma Restrepo was put in charge of designing and starting this new project.

At the request of several parents in December 2008, the doors of Discovery Montessori in Santa Ana under Norma Restrepo and Stephanie Vanselow’s direction opened.

 

Discovery Montessori is one of the two sites the Pan American Montessori Society used to train Montessori guides.

Meet our Directors

Meet our directors

Montessori Philosophy

Discovery Montessori Preschool and Daycare work based on the philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori.
Maria Montessori stated that no human being can be taught by another. Each individual must do things for himself or he will never learn. A well educated person will go on learning hours and years after he leaves the classroom because he is motivated by a natural curiosity and is eager to learn. The goal of education must not be to “fill” someone with a selection of academic facts, but to inspire a natural desire to learn.
This goal is achieved by two means: first by letting every child experiment the joy of learning by himself instead of being obliged, and secondly by helping him to perfect his natural abilities to learn, so these skills are present for future learning situations. Montessori material has both these long term goals, and the immediate purpose to give information to the child.
In her writings, Dr. Montessori frequently compared the young mind to a sponge. The mind of the child literally absorbs information from the environment. The process is particularly evident in the way a toddler learns his native language without formal instruction and without conscious effort, a tedious task for an adult to do in mastering a second language. Acquiring information in this way is a natural and wonderful for small children while using all their senses to investigate their surroundings.

The child retains this ability to learn up to seven years. Dr. Montessori concluded that their experiences could be enriched in a classroom where he could manipulate materials that provide a basic education. For over 90 years the Montessori theory has proven a toddler can learn to read, write and calculate in the same natural way he learns to walk and talk. In a Montessori classroom, the material invites the child to learn this way on your own and when you are ready.

The Importance of The Early Years

In the “absorbent mind “, Dr. Montessori wrote, “The most important period of life is not college age, but the first years of life, that is, the period between birth and age six. At any age a child needs more than an intelligent guide, and any obstacle that impedes his creative work will lessen the opportunity to achieve its perfection.”.

Sensitive Periods

Another observation of Dr. Montessori, which has been reinforced by modern research, is the importance of sensitive periods or periods of intense fascination for learning a skill or a particular feature such as climbing stairs, ordering things, telling stories or reading. It is easier for the child to learn one thing during the corresponding sensitive period than at any point in their lives. Montessori seizes this opportunity by allowing the child freedom to select individual activities which correspond to their own individual interests.

The child experiences or enjoys responsible freedom interacting with the environment prepared for him. The materials are arranged in order of difficulty, where their characteristics also encourage self-correction and independence. Within this environment the four main ways of learning the Montessori Philosophy can be found:

Motor Development and Movement Control

Practical life materials are designed to encourage fine motor skills, concentration, memory, and main sequence. These skills are the foundation for all future learning.

Sensory Foundations of Intellectual Life

Through the establishment of order and clarity of the sensorial materials, children learn to compare, discriminate and classify their environment. This is the way in which the child has the ability to refine and stimulate all the senses.

Development of Reading and Written Language Skills

A child’s language developments naturally while spontaneous construction takes place in the depths of the unconscious. Our curriculum includes language enrichment of vocabulary, phonics, the mechanics of writing and graphic language, as well as an introduction to reading.

Early Preparation for the Mathematical Mind.

The approach to mathematics is based on the development of abstract ideas from concrete impressions.

We Offer

  • Montessori environment with specialized material
  • Individual attention
  • Qualified professionals
  • Recognized institution with a wide-range of experience
  • Children from 4 months to 5 years old
  • Bilingual English-Spanish
  • Balanced Snacks
  • Music Circle with Adrianas
  • Pre- gymnastics training and early stimulation.
  • Daycare
  • Summer Workshops

  • Creative movement and pre-ballet
  • Taekwondo
  • Soccer
  • Swimming
  • Violin
  • Kids’ Yoga

A recreational program is designed for children to get the most out of their afternoons in a secure and stimulating environment.
The program is lead by preschool education professionals who are in charge of planning and implementing creative that promote all areas of development.
In the afternoons, the children have the opportunity to interact with other children with traditional games, imaginative literature, art and cuisine.

Testimonials

WHAT PARENTS SAY ABOUT US

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Contact Us

Sabana Norte, Preschool and Baby Center

Address: Scotiabank next to National Stadium , 200 west , 200 north and 25 east

Preschool:
Phone: 2296-2290, 2290-7290
Fax: 2290-7287
Email: sabana@discoverykinder.com
Baby Center:
Phone: 2296-5393, 2290-5395
Email: babycenter@discoverykinder.com

Santa Ana

Address: Red Cross Santa Ana , 100 west 100 south to 75 west.

Phone: 2282-8404, 2282-7102, 2203-0003
Email: santaana@discoverykinder.com

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