Montessori Numeracy Training Programme

Early Learning Foundation Montessori Teacher Training (ELF) has offered a part-time teacher training programme annually since 1995. It also provides expertise to other organisations and schools needing support in Early Childhood Development (ECD).

OVERVIEW

ELF has been offering workshops and full- and part-time ECD diplomas at NQF Level 4 and 5 since 1995. Approximately 20 participants a year enrol on the programme.

The current project is a pilot for ELF, as it will offer the numeracy module of its NQF Level 5 course to nine ECD practitioners from three ECD centres in the Mitchelle’s Plain area. The training will be conducted over eight weeks, with classroom observation and mentoring taking place at two, four and eight weeks after the completion of training. Each school will be provided with a Montessori Numeracy kit, which will be shared amongst the three classes. Each ECD practioner will undergo a practical assessment and compile a Portfolio of Evidence, and will receive course credits for the completion of the training. A sample of ECD learners from one class per school will be assessed at baseline and following the intervention, to determine the effectiveness of the project .

WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THIS PROJECT

• This project will address the lack of basic numeracy skills at junior primary level, evident in the poor performance on standardised tests.

• ECD practitioners will be up skilled in a method of teaching which they would not have been exposed to before.

EXPECTED LIFE CHANGE

An investment of R68,750 will fund the training and mentoring of nine ECD practitioners in the Montessori NQF Level five Numeracy programme, and cover the cost of providing a Montessori Numeracy kit to each school. Each practioner cares for approximately 35 learners, bringing the total number of children who will benefit from the project to 324. This is an expected life change of R212.19 per beneficiary.

NEED

Scientific research indicates that the early years are critical for development, as the brain undergoes the most significant growth and development in the first three years of growth. This is the time to acquire abilities such as language, motor skills, problem-solving and relationship-building by providing stimulation. The experiences and relationships in the earliest years of life play a critical role in a child’s ability to be healthy, ready to learn and equipped to deal with adulthood .

The most recent (2007) assessment results for numeracy at the Grade 3 level show that only 36.8 % of children in the Western Cape have average mathematical skills adequate for their grade level, with children from low-income families performing the worst.

SERI believes that to make an impact on the educational problems facing South Africa it is necessary to “push from the bottom” by providing a good basic education to young learners, and to “pull from the top” by giving opportunities to the best and brightest

ACTION PLAN

Preparation

• Meet with ECD forum in Mitchell’s Plain to introduce the workshop
• Interview interested candidates and review selection
• Notify successful candidates
• Prepare manuals for the training
• Conduct orientation for participants
• Conduct baseline assessment of sample of ECD learners

Implementation

Library:

• Carry out eight consecutive weeks (excluding public holidays) of training. Training will be held once a week for four hours

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Observation and mentoring will take place at two, four and eight weeks after the completion of training. Mentoring sessions last approximately one hour per class.
• An impact assessment will be conducted six months after the completion of the project.

ORGANISATION ASSESSMENT

ELF as an organisation has been in existence since 1995. However, it has only recently started maturing into a more formal organisation. It has a firm grasp on its reason for existence, and sees the empowerment of women as part of its mission.

ELF recognises that its current programme offering does not provide a holistic enough solution to women empowerment, but the organisation’s leadership is aware of this and what needs to be modified in order to provide a more holistic service. The organisation’s board is fairly new and inexperienced and some governance procedures are not entirely formalised. ELF is, however, trying to remedy this by bringing on directors who could respond to this. All operational procedures are well documented.

ELF is currently very key person dependant. While they are aware of this and are looking at grooming internal staff, this is not at a point that it should be. Current staff is, however, able to carry out operational aspects, if not strategic issues, without the presence of the MD. Planning at the organisation generally happens on a project-by-project basis, and funds are raised to cover the costs of each project as the need arises.

RISK PROFILE -

Key Strengths

• Concept: research shows that junior primary numeracy skills are severely lacking. ELF are looking at addressing this issue at a Pre-primary school level, where learning has been shown to be extremely important to the development of children.

• Design: The project implementation plan is well thought through and is based on almost 15 years of experience in carrying out ECD training.

• Capability: The organisation has staff with the relevant qualifications and experience for carrying out this type of project.

• Control: Strong monitoring and reporting systems enable the team to respond timeously to any challenges in implementation.

• Sustainability: The training that the ECD practitioners will receive will be able to be used beyond the life of the project. A positive outcome in this project will also see the ECD learners being better able to grasp the numerical concepts so important for progression through the junior primary school phase.

Key Risks - Low

• Concept: The project is not a holistic intervention, as aspects like parent and school management involvement is not looked at. This is acknowledged by ELF. In addition, as this is a pilot project, there is not yet any evidence of how effective it will be.

• Design: Although much research has been done on the methods used, it is not clear how well the numeracy programme will work in isolation from the rest of the Montessori training.

• Capability: The organisation is key person dependent, however; this should not be a major risk for the outcome of this particular project.