It is our desire that children become “global” citizens. The English language therefore plays an important role in our curriculum.
Dutch and English
All lesson material is available in Dutch and English. Every group has an English speaking teacher and a Dutch speaking teacher. The English speaking teacher only uses English, and the Dutch speaking teacher will only use Dutch when talking to students. This approach allows children to be constantly working with and learning multiple languages on a daily basis. Due to this, the children have no problems picking up a second language in a Montessori environment.
Children are easily capable of quickly learning a new language, and expanding their vocabulary within a span of four months. When they reach their sixth year of age, their language skills are developed and they become fully bilingual in both oral and written form.
The children are given tools to practice their language skills such as grammar and vocabulary exercises as well as lessons in parsing sentences.
By being a multilingual individual, the child will have a richer cultural experience and he or she will become more open to different cultures and customs.
Also see the articles and links about bilingual education.