About Priyadarshini Montessori
Established in 1994 by Mrs Swaroop Devaiah, Priyadarshini Montessori House of Children is Mangalore's first Montessori school. The aim of the school is to provide a happy, secure and inspiring environment for children in the age group of 2 to 6. Over the years, Priyadarshini has become the most sought-after foundational school for children in Mangalore.
At Priyadarshini, your child will learn all the essential informal and formal skills — from tying their shoelaces to writing and reckoning (arithmetic) in a natural and creative way, rather than by rote. The letters of the English, Kannada and Hindi alphabet are introduced and the child explores each language and all its possibilities phonetically.
Besides the scientific education methods followed, Priyadarshini offers a host of extracurricular activities, including dance, yoga, and painting that are presented by well-qualified instructors. Here, you will find everything that your child needs to develop into a well-balanced human being.
Children taught the Montessori way, learn much faster & enjoy learning more. They have been found to be well adjusted & very creative when they later go to traditional school.
As such every child who passes through Priyadarshini will have built an excellent foundation for its future growth & development. You are most welcome to come, by appointment, to witness the loving way in which we at Priyadarshini look after your child!
To help each child journey through life, discovering themselves through thought, word, and action. And to equip each child with a foundation for excellence in all aspects of life.
Priyadarshini identifies two stakeholders in its mission and focuses on serving both with diligence, sincerity and skill – your child, and you. We leave no stone unturned to ensure that your child has the best environment for learning and development. And with equal importance, we ensure that you, as parents, have the peace of mind and the confidence that your precious child is in the best hands.
The Montessori Method
The Montessori method of education is the discovery of Dr Maria Montessori – a great educator, who incidentally was also the first lady doctor of her country – Italy. Today, her method of education is sought out by every discerning parent for it gives children an opportunity to discover themselves and grow up naturally & beautifully. A Montessori House of Children is not just another preschool. It is a carefully planned environment, which has at its disposal scientifically developed tools and trained adults to assist children in the age group of 2 to 6.
The Montessori material consists of tools, which are scientifically developed & graded according to levels of difficulty of the task involved. These tools help develop the proper coordination of the child’s mind & body. They hone the child’s faculties which in turn enable the child to realize the inherent talents that nature has endowed the child with. These scientifically designed tools are carefully presented to the child by an adult who is trained and authorised to assist them in the Montessori way.
Our Founder
Mrs Swaroop Devaiah is a graduate from Mount Carmel College Bangalore and holds a Master’s Degree in English Literature from the University of Mysore. She holds a Degree in Montessori Training from the Association Montessori International and was trained by Mr Albert Max Joosten and Mr S.R. Swamy, the direct disciples and representatives of Dr Maria Montessori in India.
She is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer who secured a state rank in the Vidwath grade (MA) exams. Mrs Devaiah is also a yoga and fitness enthusiast, as well as an effective orator. She was the past president of the Inner Wheel Club of Mangalore. With 29 years of experience teaching children in the age group of 2 to 15 across Bangalore, Kodagu and Mangalore, she decided to focus her efforts on children at the preschool level, as she recognised the impact that excellent foundational training can have on children, serving them well throughout their lives.
In the 26 years since the inception of the Priyadarshini Montessori House of Children, Mrs Devaiah continues to manage every aspect of running the institution, including counselling parents, planning teaching programs, as well as teaching. She is supported by a team of dedicated teachers who are trained by her to carry forth her vision of reaching out to the individual needs of each and every child.
Mrs Devaiah has developed an innovative and unique technique in the use of phonetics for fun & clarity in learning and retaining speech skills. At the preschool level, children at Priyadarshini practice more phonetics than kids anywhere else in the world, giving them a head start to explore language and understand spellings in English. Mrs Devaiah personally takes up phonetics, reading, classes in pronunciation, diction, story narration, rhyme and poetry recitation, value and moral education, general knowledge and yoga, leaving a personal imprint on each child passing out of the school. Priyadarshini boasts of the highest teacher to student ratio of 5:1, to ensure that each child gets dedicated and personalised attention.