LING Montessori House, Klang (Tadika Sri Bunga Matahari)

Ms. Teh, the principal, founded LING Montessori House after a formal course of study and a career in Montessori education. The programme principles, pillars of learning and pedagogical methods that you will find in use at the school reflect thirty years of experience gleaned from offering early childhood education programmmes. It is a valuable addition to the educational landscape within the community that it serves. The facility is well-appointed and connects to a spacious outdoor compound that is equipped with gross motor enhancing equipment. Instructional spaces within are designed to suit the needs of the programmes but are flexible to accommodate changes to ensure that children get to experience a wide variety of activities throughout their time here. Teachers welcome all children from the ages of 2.5 to 6 years old and consider work a success when they see bright, happy faces come in every day.

Philosophy

The educational experience echoes the beliefs that:

• Every child is an individual with unique curiosities, backgrounds, emotions and dreams;

• Endless opportunities must be provided for children to learn through experiences, their senses, and peers and adults around them;

• Supporting a child is best achieved when their families are regularly informed; and

• Inspiring a love of learning and laying a foundation of essential skills for their future are the best gifts the school can give the children to face the world of tomorrow.

Curriculum and Programmes

The school educates children by employing a progressive blend of Montessori methods and guiding strategies from our National Standard Preschool Curriculum, both proven to enrich children’s intellectual, cognitive, social, emotional and physical development. This approach instills a love of knowledge, producing competent learners through the following three programmes:

• Morning Programme (8:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.)

• Half Day Programme (8:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.)

• Full Day Programme (8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.)

Holistic Development with Right and Left-Brain Integration

At LING Montessori House, the aim is to help children blossom in all areas of early growth, while having lots of fun along the way. Within the nurturing and respectful environment, children are encouraged to be independent, confident and creative through a balance of collaborative play and academic learning, as well as a myriad of hands-on exercises. The well-planned model of learning covers the domains of school readiness as listed below:

• Intellectual and General Knowledge Development

• Language and Literacy Development (English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin)

• Mathematical Development

• Scientific and Environmental Awareness Development

• Physical Well-being and Motor Development

• Practical Life Skills

• Arts Development

• Social and Emotional Development

Children are exposed to equal learning opportunities across all domains, simultaneously building skills that help shape the foundation for their mental development and growth. Throughout the course of education, strong emphasis is placed upon advancing reading and comprehension skills, and strengthening the concepts of phonics, phonemic awareness and fluency.  

Dedicated teachers continually keep the children interested with relevant themes. Stories, songs, reading material, and other learning and play activities will share the month’s topic. When children’s interests are captured, learning will occur naturally, and they will thrive. In addition, themes are planned throughout the year to coincide with seasonal holidays and special celebrations. Teachers are more focused on supporting children to discover the process of acquiring knowledge and the methods for applying it, than directing them on what to do.  

Attentive and Committed to Maintaining a Values-based Environment

All programmes, activities and events meet the main principles of safety and fairness. The atmosphere is supportive and attentive to individual needs. Children are invited to share their thoughts and emotions, and teachers are always ready to coach them in solving their problems. Teachers also provide proactive guidance by reinforcing behaviours that are kind and cooperative amongst children. As part of the commitment to maintaining a values-based learning environment, Ms. Teh, a lecturer in the Early Childhood Education and Nursing programme, adequately reflects on her team’s teaching practices with regular teacher training sessions and ongoing support.