In the initial years of our children’s lives, we experience many firsts - their first laugh, first word, the first steps, and many other firsts that always hold a special place in our hearts and are of utmost importance in the growth of our children. Another such first is their first school, the place that sets the precedent for the outside world and proves to be the primary source of learning for young minds. In a fast-paced global city like Tokyo, it’s essential for our kids to get the best of education right from the beginning that focuses on long-term and holistic development in all spheres of life.
In the midst of all this and a global pandemic, choosing your child’s first school may seem like a herculean task, but it’s just a combination of a few key factors that can help you find the perfect school for your child to start with. So here we are, not telling you which school to send your child to, but giving you all the necessary information you need to make an informed decision.
As parents, our most important concern is that of our children’s safety. To begin with, it isn’t easy to send them to a place where you won’t be able to monitor them, thus, it is essential to be able to trust the school you are sending your child to with their safety. This includes their policies and facilities regarding medical emergencies or injuries, how child-friendly their infrastructure is as well as their security measures such as guards, CCTVs, identification processes and entry protocol for individuals other than students and staff. Additionally, the current primary issue looming over all our heads is the COVID-19 pandemic. The Montessori school you pick for your child must have appropriate measures in place for hygiene and cleanliness to ensure healthy practices like sanitizing or washing hands regularly, sanitizing all belongings at the beginning of the day, thorough cleaning of classrooms and washrooms on a daily basis, etc.
Montessori school is where your child will experience things outside the comfort of your home so make sure to pick a school whose methodology and teaching approach is open and inclusive, which gives your child the space to learn, grow and interact at their own pace. At such a young age, blended learning has proven to be the most effective and meaningful in establishing long-term retention in the minds of children. This means that the curriculum of the school should be focused on both academic and co-curricular activities with an equal emphasis on mental stimulation and personality development.
When you send your kid to school, you want them to have all the necessary facilities that are required for their growth and development. The aim is to make them fall in love with learning at an early age and that can only be achieved if learning is fun and well-balanced with additional learning aids. International schools in Tokyo are increasingly improving the facilities they provide to their enrolled students that are not just impressive but also effective. Some examples of facilities that are a must-have in a Montessori school are playgrounds, libraries, and equipment for arts and crafts activities. These provisions are essential to improve the emotional and cognitive skills of children. You can also keep an eye out for facilities like cafeterias or swimming pools that may not be a necessity but definitely add extra stars to the school in terms of the opportunities they provide to children. Additionally, given the circumstances, the school should also have a facility for online learning.
A warm and growth-oriented environment is exactly what you should be looking for in a Montessori school of Tokyo. Little children are the most responsive and receptive in comfortable surroundings and their school must fulfill this criterion without fail. The school must promote open communication and honest conversations while inculcating social, emotional, and personal awareness in students. Further, schools with an international environment with a good mix of students from different cultural backgrounds and nationalities is a big plus since it helps make children more accepting and acquainted with realities apart from their own.
It is of extreme importance that the teachers teaching your children are well-qualified to teach them. Handling young children who are stepping out of their homes for the first time is not easy and the faculty, as well as staff, play a very big role in the decision of choosing a school for your child. While dealing with young kids, the faculty must keep in mind that every child is different and it is essential to understand their needs and adapt teaching methods accordingly. Adding on to this, the student-teacher ratio is also an important factor to keep in mind while shortlisting Montessori schools.
Now that you have all the factors you need to keep in mind listed down, we can help you find a starting point to look for schools that cover all these criteria! Tokyo is home to some of the best educational institutes in the world and pre-school education is no different. Some schools that have consistently offered an impeccable kindergarten experience to children are The Montessori School of Tokyo, Children’s Garden, Global Indian International School (GIIS), and International House of Waldorf-Steiner. In fact, schools like GIIS have an internationally award-winning curriculum that combines the core of the Montessori approach with modern learning.
A good Montessori school can have a lasting impact on your child’s personality that will definitely help them stand apart from the crowd right from their early years, so it’s just a little bit of research during your admission process that will take your child a long way. All you need to do is find the school that ticks all the boxes we have mentioned and your child will kick start their education in the most exciting way possible.
