Madam Fariza Ariffah binti Zabir is the proud owner, founder and principal of Taska Alami Montessori. Madam Fariza has been involved in various capacities in ECCE for almost ten years. During these ten years she has patiently and diligently acquired the necessary skills and knowledge associated with minding and caring for children the Montessorian way. Combining her astute business acumen and her love for children, Madam Fariza started Taska Alami Montessori (AM) in May of 2017.
The word ’Alami’ in Alami Montessori has been specially chosen for its meaning in various languages. In Indonesian it means ‘natural’, in Arabic it means ‘knowledge’ and in Bahasa Malaysia it means ‘nature’.
With the beautiful green environment all around us, I would like the children at Alami Montessori to have a nature inspired preschool experienceMadam Fariza
The Montessori philosophy is a child-centred educational approach based on scientific observations of children. It views the child as one who is naturally eager for knowledge and is capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It is an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child – physical, social, emotional and cognitive.
“We aspire to promote learning in an inquiring, cooperative, nurturing atmosphere through self and teacher initiated experiences. We also aspire to support learning through the senses by manipulating materials and interacting with others, leading to the abstract understanding of concepts,” adds Madam Fariza.
All the environments at AM has been personally supervised and set up by the principal herself. Even with the constraints of limited space, each environment is well lighted and arranged so that this space limitation does not hinder the movement and activities of the children.
The curriculum at AM encompass nine major areas of development of a child:
- Moral values and socio-emotional skills
- Independence and life skills
- Physical development (Gross and fine motor skills)
- Language, communication and early literacy
- Numbers and logical thinking
- Sensorial exploration (Sand and water play)
- Pretend play (Creativity and imagination)
- Cultural awareness (Introduction to the world and its wonders)
- Islamic education (Akhlaq, Du’as and introduction to Solat)
Activities at AM include circle time, thematic role-playing and discussions, learning excursions to places or exhibitions of interest, road and fire safety awareness programmes, mini science projects such as planting and watching the process of seeds growing into tiny plants and many more. With such comprehensive lesson plans and activities, the children are always engaged in a rich and nurturing environment.
After having their minds and spirits enriched, the children will need delicious and nutritious food to fill their ravenous appetites. The menu at AM has been meticulously formulated to ensure that only the best ingredients and freshest foods are served to the children. These meals are prepared daily in their very own kitchen according to the most up-to-date healthy meals provisions.
Quoting a line from American philosopher, John Dewey, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself”, children at AM are nurtured to understand the great diversity in life and to show respect for one another. At Taska Alami Montessori, a legacy of love, respect and tolerance plus cultivating and nurturing the innocence and pureness in a child, Madam Fariza hopes that one day that same pureness of thought and innocence will help mould a world where peace, respect and tolerance will be our guiding principles.
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