A good Early Childhood education helps young children develop the skills they need to become well-rounded, confident individuals. The Global Montessori Plus (GMP) programme at GIIS for children aged 2.5 to 5+ years, in particular, gives your child a strong foundation for the future. With an emphasis on catering to the multiple learning styles and intelligences of children, the curriculum prepares each child to realise their full potential. The curriculum also builds accelerated literacy and numeracy skills that support future learning.
Our kindergarten teachers at GIIS are compassionate, friendly and create a nurturing environment for our early learners. Students are also taught to be socially responsible and culturally aware from an early age through various social and cultural initiatives.
With co-curricular activities built into the curriculum, young learners in our preschool programme receive an education that prioritises holistic development and prepares them to be future global citizens and leaders.
What is Global Montessori Plus?
Global Montessori Plus (GMP) is an award-winning preschool programme that is designed for our early learners under the age of five. The fun, interactive curriculum features hands-on, self-directed activities.
In a Montessori classroom, children learn basic literacy and numeracy skills, plus develop collaboration, creativity and critical thinking skills. The “Plus” describes an infusion of modern technologies, including STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) activities, that add balance to the traditional Montessori programme.
With the classroom as a laboratory, GMP nurtures your child’s all-round development, confidence and love for learning.
The Five Pillars of GMP
Five foundational pillars in the Global Montessori Plus programme play an important role in nurturing your child’s personal, academic, social, emotional and physical development.
1. Excelerate Programme
This key pillar of the GMP guarantees certain standards in literacy and numeracy skills in students who complete three years in the kindergarten programme. Communication is an essential part of our daily lives and a skill we need to learn well. To master this skill, four different aspects of communication are involved – listening, speaking, reading and writing. GMP uses a variety of both time-tested and modern methods to ensure our students enjoy the learning process and are able to apply their learning. Apart from the paper and pencil method, the dedicated Montessori labs help support students’ learning through the use of Montessori materials and toys.
In dedicated Montessori classrooms or ‘labs’, your child will develop fluency in reading, writing, listening, speaking, numeracy, and maths. The activities are fun, which increases your child’s interest in learning. Trained, caring, and experienced teachers guide your child through every step of this developmental programme.
2. Multi-faceted Learning
This pillar deals with the pedagogies that the curriculum subscribes to in order to make teaching and learning inclusive, varied, versatile and relevant to our early learners.
Howard Garner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences states that everyone possesses 8 different intelligences but at varying aptitudes. Therefore, each person learns, remembers, performs and understands in different ways. The thematic approach of the GMP curriculum covers a wide range of topics that traditionally fall under the umbrella of ‘Cultural Studies’. Every topic is taught in many different ways so that all students explore the topic not only through their most predominant intelligence but tap in on all the other intelligences that may not be predominant. This makes the curriculum interesting for every child in the classroom.
Teachers also host special events and field trips that enhance learning.
3. iPlay
Young children learn best through play. That’s why we create an environment that combines learning with fun, encouraging sharing, self-expression and communication skills among our young learners. In a flexible classroom environment, we provide self-directed, hands-on activities. While playing, your child practises co-operation, self-management, independence, socio-emotional skills and spatial awareness.
4. iCare
i. I-Care: This programme introduces students to a range of real-world problems. It creates awareness among students about problems such as world hunger, animal conservation, pollution, etc. They become aware that they are part of the problem and hence realise the important role they can play in contributing positively to the solution too. Topics are introduced to them during circle time, assemblies, events, special days, puppet plays etc. Habits and awareness created when they are young are key for children to continue valuing them throughout life. The GMP programme recognises the fact that it is never too young to start caring for our world.
ii. Universal Values Programme: Schools for long have been highly regarded as institutions that inculcate life values in students that help them be good citizens. However, character education lacked structure and was mostly taught as one of the other things. The GMP programme fills this gap. It aims to enhance the Emotional Quotient in students, which helps students recognise, express and understand their own feelings and the feelings of the people in their environment, which is basic to building positive values, character, attitudes and most importantly, growth mindsets. Life values such as honesty, integrity, tolerance, freedom, friendship, empathy, etc., are inculcated in children from an early age through the GMP programme.
We encourage positive interactions with peers and offer plenty of opportunities for social play through carefully planned activities (iPlay). While learning with others, your child builds character traits that support collaboration, communication and socio-emotional growth.
5. Future Ready Learning
Technology is an inevitable part of our lives. GMP had always laid great emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths (STEAM). Students are provided with ample opportunities to explore these areas at a very young age because it is integral to developing core skills such as analytics, scientific linear thinking, problem-solving and inventiveness. Our programme enhances creativity in children through an array of activities and opportunities for expression. Dance, drama, puppet plays, art, craft, music, percussion are all different ways in which children at GIIS explore the realm of creativity.
The GMP programme at GIIS includes 21st-century learning methodologies. The hands-on experiences and activities include STEAM activities that promote creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. Through active participation in the programme, your child becomes prepared to learn and grow in the future.
Faculty and Facilities
The GIIS faculty and facilities support the holistic development of your child. We start by employing experienced, energetic and caring educators to nurture, guide and teach your child. Our intense staff recruitment process means we find and hire only the most qualified and prepared teachers for the preschool programme. We also make sure our teachers love working with young children and are experts at early childhood education. Then, we provide state-of-the-art facilities, resources and infrastructure to support staff in every way. We include a rigorous GMP training programme, too, as we ensure that your child will interact daily with teachers who value their individuality and foster a loving, educational and kind environment.
Admission Criteria
We invite children between the ages of 2.5 and 5 years to enrol in the preschool programme at GIIS. With our easy and hassle-free admissions process, your child can join our programme at any time throughout the year. Our GMP preschool classes include Nursery, Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2.
Why choose GIIS Preschool for Your Child?
At GIIS, we put your family first. Our world-renowned curriculum, the latest technology tools and innovative teaching methods prepare your child for a successful transition into primary school and future success. We also keep your child safe at all times within our campus. Robust parent engagement ensures you feel included as part of our family, too.
Here’s what one of our preschool parents have to say about the preschool programme at GIIS (Neethi, parent of Sattvik Sajith):
“One of the things we were looking for in a school was an inclusive environment where the child feels connected and belonged. At GIIS and the wider Global Schools Foundation, there is an increased emphasis on kindness, empathy and care and these values resonated with us as well. My son enjoys coming to school, especially because of the pandemic restrictions on socialising, as school is where children meet their friends.”
“The expansive infrastructure of the school provides a lot of opportunities for children to engage in different activities. Even inside the classrooms, there are spaces they can use to create things as per their imagination. I had hoped he would be able to better his communication and socialising skills, and I believe he is on track in terms of age-appropriate developmental milestones.”
Your child does more than gain an academic education at GIIS. We believe that it’s our responsibility to prepare your child holistically for the future. We develop lifelong learners who know themselves, advocate for social unity and lead with confidence. With a solid preschool foundation and the GMP curriculum, your child gains essential academic, cognitive, socio-emotional and expressive skills that shape their awareness. Our preschool programme benefits young learners now and into the future.
If you would like to find out more about our preschool programme, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly admissions counsellors.
Rema Rajiv
Ms Rajiv has been an Early Childhood educator and practitioner for the past 15 years at GIIS. She heads the Global Montessori Plus (GMP) Programme, supporting kindergarten students in their learning and holistic development to maximise the potential of every student. She has been instrumental in implementing developmentally age-appropriate curriculum that provides a strong foundation for lifelong learning. She is well-respected due to her rich experience in the field and passion for working with preschoolers, helping establish a good rapport with the parent community.
