Who Are We?
Capriccio! Arts Powered Pre-School is a registered Montessori inspired ECD independent school in Milnerton.
The Italian wordcapriccio has two interpretations:
- A lively piece of music; short and free in form.
- A painting or work of art representing a fantasy or a mixture of real and imaginary features.
Both of the above interpretations are representative of our approach to education in the early years, which is designed to harness the full benefits of early exposure to the arts. At Capriccio! our focus is on nurturing each child’s cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and artistic development in a loving, creative and holistic learning environment. We are passionate about the role of art in education and recognise the power it has in instilling within little ones a life-long love of learning.
What Are the Benefits of Arts Powered Learning?
Studies have shown that exposure to arts education from a young age accelerates positive brain development. Art in all its various forms – music, drama, dance and visual art, has an infinite capacity to affect both the brain and the body, acting as a unifying force that supports and enhances cognitive, physical, emotional, and social skills in young children.
Ainissa Ramirez once said, “Creativity is the secret sauce to science, technology, engineering and math.” Exposing young learners to arts powered education creates an open learning environment that fosters curiosity and encourages creative thinking and problem solving. These are transferable skills that are essential to building a strong foundation in other learning areas.
We believe that children possess an innate property for appreciation and enjoyment of the arts. By engaging this appreciation from a young age, little ones are provided with a means by which to express themselves, which allows them to progress, self-actualise and foster healthy self-esteem throughout their lives.
Our Approach to Arts Powered, Montessori Inspired Learning
At Capriccio! the expressive needs and individual developmental abilities of each of our little ones are taken into account. By incorporating arts-driven learning and Montessori principals into our curriculum we create a learning environment which provides each child the opportunity to flourish at their own pace.
Montessori is a child centred philosophy of education, which recognises that each child has the innate eagerness to acquire knowledge and a deep love of learning. In keeping with this philosophy, we are focused on following the individual child and acknowledging his or her ability to direct their own learning journey in a carefully prepared learning environment. We have incorporated the traditional Montessori areas of learning such as, practical life, education of the senses, literacy, numeracy and arithmetic, knowledge and understanding of the world, creativity, and outdoor learning, into our methodology and materials.
As Sydney Gurewitz Clemens said, “Art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else.” It is our belief that art has intrinsic value in giving each child the freedom of self-discovery throughout their learning journey.
For more information on our philosophy and approach please visit our website:www.artspreschool.co.za
- The Value of Performance Arts in Healthy Child Development - April 5, 2019
- Values in the Classroom - February 7, 2019
- Global Trends of Education Influencing Education of the Future - December 12, 2018
