What makes us different
“The task of the environment is not the child, but to allow him to reveal himself.”
– Maria Montessori-
Our educational concept
Our goal here at the International Montessori School at Wannsee is to see our students learn independently, with interest and enjoyment appropriate to their developmental stage, and at their own pace.
…while taking into account each child’s holistic development.
We start from the premise that every child is motivated to learn, and we trust in their ability to develop naturally: something which is supported by our prepared environment.
Adhering closely to the principles of Maria Montessori, we let our students choose for themselves which material and subject they experiment with and work on. Our educators are there to provide support for them.
While working on a project in free work time, our children have freedom in their – choice of work
– choice of partner
– choice of when to start and work duration
– choice of work station while working on a project or the material.
The work itself comes naturally and is not called into question…
“Not the child should adapt to the environment, but we should adapt the environment to the child.”
-Maria Montessori-
Current information
The next online information evening will take place on:
Tuesday, 11. October 2022 | 7:00 p.m.
(in english)
The next information evening in presence will take place on:
Tuesday, 08. November 2022 | 6:00 p.m.
(in german)
Please contact Frau Schöttler by email at:
ims.verwaltung@montessori-friends.de
We look forward to seeing you then!
Contact for interested parents/registration:
Internationale Montessorischule (IMS) Berlin
Frau Schöttler
Zum Heckeshorn 38
14109 Berlin
Fon: 030 – 804 822 70
Fax: 030 – 804 822 71
ims.verwaltung@montessori-friends.de
Prepared environment
To support our children in their development we see it as our job to provide them with the best possible prepared environment.
This consists of
I. enabling free choice
II. providing a specially prepared classroom
III. the child’s living space
IV. the educators
Bilingual learning in German and English
The earlier the better: young children acquire new languages playfully and almost effortlessly.
Up to the age of about 9 years, children find it relatively easy and automatic to immerse themselves in a foreign language. As with their mother tongue, they acquire a new language without focussing on grammar or learning lists of vocabulary verbatim. At the IMS, we offer English as a second foreign language.
The immersion (“Sprachbad”) of language teaching.
Two teachers, two languages – this is the principle of immersion. It is the most successful way of learning a new language. To begin with, English is not a part of the lesson, but rather a tool for daily communication, either with their English-speaking teachers or classmates. The child decides how s/he learns by selecting from the foreign language input and organising the structure of the language her/himself.
From the third grade, lessons are taught partly in English.
Individual support
In Montessori education, each child is supported at their personal developmental stage. This means each child receives individual support. Each child’s strengths and challenges can be addressed in the prepared environment.
To achieve this we have enough educators on hand to observe the children and to select suggestions present accordingly, based on their observations. The children are thus constantly being presented with new knowledge and areas of experimentation to spark their interest.
We feel sure that when in the prepared environment, every child is ready to learn with curiosity, and a thirst for knowledge. It’s our job to accompany the children in this learning process and strengthen this curiosity.
This way, the children learn not for the school or the grades but because their “experimentation field“ is dear to them. Our children experience themselves as competent in their own process of learning, which is of great importance to healthy development and in their later life and learning.
Montessori Campus
Our Montessori Campus combines the bilingual Montessori-Kinderhaus (for children aged 2-6 years) with the Montessori school. Part of the concept is a smooth transition to the first year of school. Children from a Montessori & Friends children’s house have priority when applying for a place at the bilingual Montessori school. Parents who register their child in the Montessori school are given priority for siblings in the children’s house on the Wannsee campus, (according to availability).
In all our institutions – from crèche to primary school – we endeavour, by using the methods developed by Maria Montessori, to provide the conditions for holistic learning and living to flourish alongside the latest findings from developmental psychology, modern educational science and brain research have to offer. We place special emphasis on the way each person is seen – an attitude based on respect and mindfulness.
Guidelines
Learning is fun!
Touching, feeling, experiencing – sensory impressions and experiences guide everyday life at our school. We give the child the opportunity to experience life beyond simply putting across learning content.
Learning needs patience!
exploring and listening, learning and playing – variety is the key to successful learning. Subjects are not merely “gone through“ but worked through by the students. They can try out ideas without being immediately assessed.
Learning needs diversity!
children are all different – and in our school they can remain so. We encourage creativity and individuality in each child, because each individual enriches the whole group.
Learning needs company!
Our classes comprise mixed age ranges. This has many advantages, as mixed age groups provide a familial dynamic: younger and older students support one another, share different experiences with the group and respecting one another.
Learning needs structure!
being able to experience one‘s own freedom within a pre-determined structure is the yin and yang of our system. For us, freedom means the freedom to develop. Each child should have the chance to develop according to her/his/their own inner blueprint. Yet this freedom always contains an aspect of attachment. By freely choosing her/his own work, s/he simultaneously forms an attachment to it. The pre-determined structure derives from the jointly devised rules concerning living and working together as a community.