The scholastic year 2024/2025 started with afour-day visit to the ‘Casa del bambini Montessori San Giusto’ in Trieste, Italy sponsored by the Erasmus Plus programme.
The main aim of this visit was to shadow classes at kinder and primary level which fall in line with my role as Literacy Support Teacher (LST). This was an overall beneficial experience since one could learn by comparing the methodologies used here at this Montessori inspired school with those applied within the Church Schools in Malta. Moreover, it was also within the scope of this visit that the information gathered during this mission would later be disseminated to fellow educators.
Our point of reference was Prof. Eva Vitt, Head of school. During the meetings held with her, she took us through the history of the school along the years to where it stands today. This school has two main sections, the kindergarten and the primary, but also has a very important pre-school section called the ‘sezione primavera’ which hosts toddlers up to 3 years. Despite having a population of 157 students, the school has spacious classes and sizeable outdoor areas.
The kindergarten — Scuola Materna (3 to 6 years)
As the Italian name suggests, the kind of learning the children are exposed to helps them become independent, confident and disciplined citizens. The school provides students with the right tools making the Montessori approach here extremely obvious. The structured material and the monitoring of the teacher is evident. There was a sense of mutual trust between the children and their educators.
The most important thing at this stage was that pupils became curious and could explore the different areas of development when they were ready to do so and at their own pace. Literacy (letter recognition and formation) at this level takes place when children have developed most of the fine motor skills. It is done on a one-to-one basis the educator and the child. Although it is introduced to children when they are ready, it is process to teacher led.
Primary level ( 6 — 1 1 year olds)
At this level and a feature which could be certainly appreciated was that children that are ready to read start the day with a 20/30minute silent reading session, obviously in the mother language. It is Montessori inspired and most of the tools available confirm this. Primary focus is on grammar, especially analysis of sentences and parts of speech. They work on textbooks, copybooks and other printed resources but also learn grammar through rhymes, songs and role play. The ‘Montessori parts of speech symbols’ are part and parcel of their lessons. Listening, speaking and comprehension skills are also present.
Children are also exposed to English too. They have an hour-long session which mostly concentrates on conversation and also have a project in English about important women in history.
It is fitting to conclude this testimonial with one of Maria Montessori’s quotes “Adults must defend children. We adults must see the real humanity in children, the humanity which will take our place one day, if we are to have social progress. Social progress means that the next generation is better than the one before.”
The team of educators from St Dorothy’s Sliema and the Secretariat for Catholic Education with the School’s Principal, Dott. Eva Viti.
Sonia Zammit – Literacy Support Teacher (SfCE)
KA–2023–MT01–KA122-000113115
