Transformation

The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences" --Dr. Maria Montessori
Recently we assisted Anuban Tessaban Rongkwan in Phrae province to transform their environment to one that is more orderly, beautiful, realistic and accessible.  This enables students to make independent choices for their learning. See the growth timeline below:

                                                         Teacher centered environment .  

                                                             Prepared environment

                                                     Independenet centered environment

 "Growth comes from activity, not from intellectual understanding"- Dr. Montessori

Montessori Open House

Ban Phradu CDC has reached one year since its conversion to Montessori method, and hosting an Open House last week was a sure way to improve community spirit. The entire community was invited to tour the school and receive an overview of the benefits of a Montessori education. KLDF's Montessori team provided information and guidance through the classroom environments.

Parents Workshop

We schedule a Parents Workshop after the first four months of Montessori classroom conversion in order to give teachers and children a chance to settle into a rhythm and become comfortable in their classroom environment. Our classrooms that are three months into the process, Ban Pangkhon and Ban Pang Rim Khong, had great occasions for the parents to see the hard work that their children perform on daily basis.  See pictures below.



Children's Day at Montessori Expansion Site

This past Saturday, January 8th, was National Children's Day in Thailand.  There were many activities afoot to celebrate the future of Thailand, as well as a chance to listen to what strikes children as important to them.

At Ban Pang Rim Korn School, one of our two expansion sites for the Khom Loy Montessori Project, there were numerous activities hosted for the students including games, a dance, and ceremonies.

Dancing the day away!

Father's Day in Thailand

Students holding letters to the King, who is referred to as "Father" in colloqiual Thai

December 5th is Father's Day in Thailand, which has a somewhat different background to Father's Day in Western countries.  December 5th is the birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand, and every year there is a large celebration of the longest-reigning monarch in the world.

There are many ceremonies to celebrate, and children get in on the action as well!  This year we helped our classrooms celebrate at Phradu School, one of our expansion sites for this semester.  Enjoy these pictures!

"Wai Pra Jaao Yu Hua" (paying respect to the King)

2011 Has Arrived

Happy New Year everyone!

The holiday season has come and passed, and our staff here at the Khom Loy Montessori Program are refreshed and ready to take on another exciting year.  Stay tuned for more updates of what we do and why we do it.  And hope you have a great new year.

Part of my Motivation:

" There is a part of  a child's soul that has always been unknown but which must be known. With a spirit of sacriface and enthusiasm we must go in search like those who travel to foreign lands and tear up mountains in their search for hidden gold. This is what the adults must do who seeks the unknown factor that lies hidden in the depths of a child's soul. This is a labor in which all must share, without distinction of nation, race, or social standing since it means the bringing forth of an indispensable element for the moral progress of mankind." ( The Secret of Child, Dr. Maria montessori)

Montessori Workshop

Approximately each month we are honored to provide brief Montessori workshops to various government educational institutions. Our recent visitor to our resource centre came from Nakornsawan and Lampung. It's been a rewarding moment as most of them express interest on intergrating Montessori method into their schools set-up.

September Update

Our most exciting accomplishment this month:  We have just developed our first Thai Language sandpaper vowel letters!  We are so delighted and we can't wait to introduce them to the children.  Take a look for yourself!

Intro to KLDF Montessori Project

The KLDF Montessori project aims at giving ethnic minority children an opportunity to learn to speak Thai language and equip the children with what they need to become self-reliant individuals. 

Over the years the KLDF Monstessori project vision has continued to grow and we have expanded our efforts to reach other districts with hilltribe children in the Chiang Rai province.  We have grown from 2 classrooms to 34 montessori-converted classrooms.

For more information feel free to visit Khom Loy's website, at http://www.khomloy.org/EN/montessori.html .