Duhovka Preschool

Prague, 14 August 2008. A new preschool, called DUHOVKA, will open in September in Prague 6 – Hanspaulka. Its pedagogical approach will be based on the Montessori Method. The preschool is international, placing emphasis on both Czech and English languages and is prepared to accept 50 preschoolers aged 3-6 years.

Currently, the country is seeing a major increase in interest in the pedagogy of Maria Montessori not only among theoreticians of education and preschool and elementary school teachers, but most of all among parents.

Maria Montessori, a gifted Italian physician, was a pioneer of alternative education. She held degrees in medicine, philosophy, and psychology in addition to studying intensively anthropology, biology, and pedagogy. The result of her life´s work is the Montessori Method, a highly detailed system that is rightfully considered a breakthrough in terms of its individualized approach to child development and psychology.

Children want to understand, act, grow, and develop. We can enable them to do that by giving them what they need: experiences, knowledge, and opportunities to engage in a rich variety of activities.

The Montessori Method leverages a sensitive developmental period when the child´s natural desire to discover and get to know the world around him or her is strongest. The job of adults is to help the children acquire new knowledge and skills on their own, at their own pace, so that in the end they can manage everything alone, and experience the satisfaction that comes from a job well done.

The children themselves have a say in what they will do, with whom they will work, and how long they will work. Free choice, however, has limits. Freedom and discipline are interdependent; they are “two sides of the same coin.” During the activities, children discover both their possibilities and their limits – the current limits of their skills and intellect, the limits of things, the limits of time, and limits imposed by parents and teachers.

Another important principle arrived at by Maria Montessori during her observations of how children work with the materials is “absorption”. Absorption occurs when a child focuses completely on a single activity. During these times, the child becomes calmer, more thoughtful and observant. The child´s attention is held fast by the work and she or he is capable of long-lasting intense concentration. Absorption is the foundation of learning.

Duhovka principal Hana Černohousová said: “Our goal is to create the best possible environment for developing children´s personalities, supporting the development of their abilities and skills and leading them to knowledge. Duhovka makes use of all available trends in preschool education, but most of all we use the Montessori Method – all with regard to the framework program stipulated by the Ministry of Education.”

Thanks to its bilingual environment and Montessori approach, Duhovka is one of a very small number of preschools of this kind in the Czech Republic.

Duhovka preschool owner Tomáš Janeček said: “We want to create a place children and their parents will enjoy and want to come back to again and again. Our priorities are high-quality education and having a team of highly experienced pedagogues and personalities who are excited about partnering with the children and creating the right environment for them.”