Our Approach

At Shining Stars Montessori Daycare the growth of the whole child is encouraged. We offer a positive, nurturing and stimulating environment with a balanced curriculum that facilitates the cognitive, physical, emotional and social development of the children. The program combines the respected Montessori method with the psychological, educational, and social knowledge of contemporary Early Childhood Education.

To encourage self-motivated and independent learning, the children are given choices and freedom within boundaries, where they are allowed to choose age-appropriate materials and activities that interest them, under the guidance of a trained Montessori teacher. This enables them to progress academically at their own pace. We recognize that each child is unique, with their own individual needs and seek to accommodate their learning styles.

We believe that parents and teachers have an important role in creating a loving, stimulating and safe environment for children, by working as a team. This teamwork enables children to develop to their maximum potential.

Fee Structure

Joanna Liguori

After obtaining a BSc.Hons therapy degree from Exeter University in the U.K., I became interested in the Montessori Method of teaching young children. My degree had trained me in empowering people with disability and I learned that Dr. Maria Montessori had pioneered her method of teaching based on her breakthrough work helping children with special needs. These children passed the public school examinations with better marks than children without these challenges, due to the Montessori Method.

I began working with children in a Montessori nursery in Greater London, U.K. and decided to do the Early Childhood Montessori teaching certificate, followed by the International diploma, which I finished in a Canadian Montessori school in Surrey, B.C., after emigrating to Canada in 1997. I obtained my International Montessori Early Childhood Teaching diploma from the London Montessori Centre, which is now one of the leading Montessori training centers in Europe.

I have worked in Montessori schools in British Columbia since 1997, teaching in preschools, daycares, kindergarten and also supervising an after-school care program. During this time I gained my Early Childhood Education certificate and License to practice. I appreciate the theoretical background and curriculum in both the Montessori program and Early Childhood Education and have sought to blend the best of both in my daycare program to meet the holistic needs of the children, whilst following Montessori guidelines. I chose the Montessori Method because it is child-centered and follows the natural development of the children. I love working with young children, because I enjoy their enthusiasm for learning and their awe at life as they discover their environment.

I believe that children learn best when they interact with their environment through hands-on discovery, at their own individual pace.