How is the À la Ferme d’Ambre school innovative?

● First international school at the Farm, children meet different species of animals. An environment that contributes to everyone’s well-being and strengthens the connection with Nature.

● It is an international school open to the world: awareness of foreign languages, learning English. Throughout the year, the school welcomes AMI-qualified Montessori educators (International Montessori Association created by Maria Montessori) from all over the world who actively participate in the life of the school with the children.

● A family setting: reduced number (12 children per environment) from 3 to 6 years old

● It is a place where the child flourishes and learns to live in society: learning the rules of good manners, empathy, altruism, discovery of nature.

● The principles of Maria Montessori pedagogy allow the child to be an actor in his or her life: self-confidence, autonomy, pleasure of learning, curiosity.

The educator, a guide to support the child’s development:

Thanks to his observation of the child in order to know him better, he can guide him by offering him adapted activities which respect his needs and desires. The educator presents the material to the child who can then handle it alone. The Montessori educator is attentive to the child’s development and monitors their progress in learning.

Working environments suitable for children aged 3 to 6:

The Maria Montessori international school “La Vie est Belle” welcomes children from 3 years old. The child can thus become familiar with community life and understand the rules of life.

Younger children aged 2 to 3 start by learning to take care of themselves and their environment. Thanks to a clear and organized space, the young child slowly begins to learn autonomy with the help of the adult (for example, getting ready or washing their hands alone). The practical life activities provided offer the child the opportunity to work on concentration and mastery of gestures (cleaning a table, pouring water into a glass, opening/closing a padlock, etc.). The young child observes and manipulates the sensory material which allows them to develop and refine the five senses. The child learns to classify, organize and discover abstract notions in a sensory and concrete way.

Children aged 3 to 6 know what they need to develop and build themselves. Thanks to his absorbing mind, he will draw inspiration from what surrounds him to learn. He has a natural curiosity which will encourage him to carry out certain activities which naturally correspond to his learning pace. The child has the opportunity to choose his activity, supported by the educator, in order to satisfy his personal interest. The child therefore works for himself and feels a deep sense of satisfaction, motivating him and instilling in him the desire to learn. Numerous Language, Mathematics and Culture activities are offered to prepare them for writing, introduce them to mathematical concepts, and know and understand the world.

From the age of 6, the child is an explorer, a thinker. He questions the world around him. The little child who was a sensory being becomes a young person in search of discoveries and who evolves in society. The young child wants to learn and understand, he now explores the world directly through the mind, without using his senses. After the age of 6, concrete learning becomes abstract.

The atmosphere is the space in which children of different ages evolve, which promotes mutual aid and cooperation between everyone. It is a welcoming and clean environment, which invites the child’s curiosity, supported by adults. The child has freedom of movement thanks to an environment prepared and designed to make the material accessible directly by the child himself. The atmosphere is a place of learning but also a place of life and discovery which stimulates sensory and cognitive activity in the child.

Each educational material has been studied to develop learning and has a means of self-correction. Indeed, the child can work alone and correct himself since making mistakes is part of learning. He thus develops his autonomy and self-confidence. He also learns to know his strengths and those to work on in order to adapt his efforts by setting objectives. The educational environment invites the child to think for himself, with the support of the educator or his peers. The child works alone or in a group. He can ask another child to use equipment. He thus learns mutual assistance, patience, respect for himself and others.