ICE®, our patented methodology that combines rigor, lateral thinking, social responsibility, leadership and self determination

ICE® Methodology challenges the current educational systems regarding its applied teaching methods and the knowledge taught within it, rejecting the certainty and unique dimension of a traditional school day of the child, also in relation to the content of the subjects taught.

SOCIAL GROWTH

Learning in terms of wider societal development and not just intellective development. Learning through the transmission of values such as autonomy and a sense of social responsibility.

OBJECTIVITY

The transfer of information without any influence from dominant culture, political position and religious dogma.

TRANS-DISCIPLINARITY

Promotion of the integration amongst taught subjects to reinforce their interconnection.

AUGMENTED LEARNING

Extension of the ability of elaboration of the human mind through distributed knowledge and enabling technologies.

SHARING IS CO-CREATION

Collective revision and updating of the educational path from parents, teachers and experts, in line with human development, knowledge and understanding in all the fields.

OPEN MIND

Continuously stimulating critical analysis and creative thought and development; evaluation of the truth

RELEVANCE

Importance of conducting crucial activity of social importance with direct utility for the future.

From De Bono to Montessori, we are inspired by the methods of the most important educators who have revolutionized the way of thinking and doing teaching. What we have built, at the end of a long process of study and experimentation, is a method with ancient roots but with an innovative vision, designed for the talents of tomorrow.

EDWARD DE BONO
Edward De Bono’s Creative Thinking and the 6 Hats Another important influence on our curriculum is the thinking schema of Edward De Bono’s 6 Hats in which our staff have been trained. Such a thinking model allows and encourages children to consider multiple realities and variables in decision making and in considering consequences of their and others actions.
WALDORF-STEINER METHOD
Emphasizing education with warmth and feeling – “the human element”, “live speech”, that education should be child and not subject based. The principals of eurhythmics with an emphasis on creativity and imagination throughout the curriculum.
THE GLEN DOMAN METHOD
Teaching of reading through the presentation of whole words and phrases, rich with meaning and interest rather than with individual letters;
THE MONTESSORI METHOD
Learning through self-motivated activities, where structured environments with prepared materials are organised in a planned sequence enabling children to work with a high level of independence, involving considerable stimulation of the senses;
LEV VYGOTSKY’S IDEAS
Use of ‘proximal development’ in curriculum planning, emphasising the centrality of play in development and the role of dialogue in communication and interaction in teaching;

JOHN HOLT’S IDEAS
Support of children in learning, yet an awareness of the destructiveness of over-assistance in retarding child’s development;
PIAGET’S IDEAS
Children actively arrange and construct their knowledge as they develop their own personal interpretation schemes, with learning not involving passive imitation. Emphasis of the importance of allowing children first hand experiences and time to reflect, with children being encouraged to question;
THE PLAN - DO - REVIEW METHOD
The importance of learning started by the child with the idea that child learning is more successful when the children are free to choose activities in a structured environment, which allows a certain degree of autonomy to develop at this stage. This method is associated with particularly significant long-term benefits and we can apply it only because of our positive adult-child relationship;
LEARNING BY TEACHING
German: Lernen durch Lehren, short LdL) Designates currently the method by Jean-Pol Martin that allows pupils and students to prepare and to teach lessons, or parts of lessons.

HOW WE WORK

Readiness for reading and writing at Little Genius International

All our students will be assessed by teachers in respects to their readiness to start reading and writing, with a decision to initiate the teaching of these skills being made in consideration of the ease with which a child may progress and the overall gains for him/ her at any given stage. For the majority of students our reading and writing programmes will initiate at 4 years of age and will complement one another, emphasizing the pleasure of these skills, whilst distancing them from any competition between children in mastering them. It is also for this reason that at Little Genius International skipping an academic year is not advised, as the program is sufficiently stimulating.

Creative development

At Little Genius all children are allowed to be spontaneous, inquisitive and creative without the adjustment of their works by adult hands for all subjects that involve the child creativity (art, music, theater, science in problem solving ect.). At times children will be presented techniques and options with care and guidance, exemplifying but not insisting upon possible ways to approach things, without removing from children their spontaneity and own ideas, thereby allowing them to challenge their energies and the strength of their feelings that form a central part of creative development.

Furthermore children at Little Genius International will have regular lessons in:

Science (children of 4+ years old): In order to encourage experimentation gain empirical validation, further curiosity ,control and manipulate variables and be innovative in finding alternatives and creating inventions.

Ethics (children of 4+ years old): Ethics is not moral teaching, is not Religious dogma and is not preaching. Ethics is a branch of philosophy that will help our students in the formation of their character. The term comes from the Greek word “ethos”, which means “character”. Ethics, about the practical means of determining a moral course of action, seeks to resolve questions dealing with human morality. At Little Genius International the subject of Ethics is an important part of the curriculum. We believe that delivering philosophical Ethics education is extremely important for children’s psychological development.

History (children of 4 + years old); in order to provoke thought in children drawing upon an array of known and forgotten historical events in order to better teach the importance of morality, love, tolerance and generosity, whilst examining the power and consequences of our actions.

Geography (children of 4 + years old); The study of geography is crucial in today’s globalized and multicultural society. At Little Genius International School we teach our students to understand the geographical and social differences and similarities between countries, with their traditions, cultures, landscapes, faces, languages and dialects. The understanding of space and distances between the various countries of the world, with the help of world maps and geographic maps, helps our students to understand the reason for many questions about peoples of the world and to appreciate cultural and ethnic diversities. We starts with the study of Italian regions then continue with the countries of Europe, and finally look at the continents, because only by appreciating the place we come from we can understand and appreciate what surrounds us.

LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH