MAM ACADEMY - Accra, Ghana

Maame Amponsah Memorial Academy (MAM) is a Montessori educational center for pre-school and school-age children. We are located in Oyibi near Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, about a mile on the new Oyibi-Appolonia-Ashaiman Road. Our educational philosophy centers on the Montessori principle that “children learn best when the environment supports their natural desire to acquire skills and knowledge.” Our mission is to provide a carefully planned safe, nurturing, recreational, and stimulating educational environment which will help the child develop an excellent foundation for creative learning, with a view to blooming into an intelligent and responsible leader in society. This mission is accomplished through the following goals:
 Developing a positive attitude toward  

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learning in each child – At MAM Academy, most of our learning activities are individualized. That is, each child engages in a learning task that particularly appeals to him/her, because he/she finds the activities geared to his/her needs and level of readiness. Consequently, the child works at his/her own rate, repeating the task as often as he/she likes, and thus experiencing a series of successful achievements. In this manner, the child builds a positive attitude toward learning itself.
 Developing self confidence in each child – At MAM, tasks are designed so that each new step is built upon what the child has already mastered, thus removing the negative experience of frequent failure. A carefully planned series of successes builds upon inner confidence in the children, assuring them individually that they can learn by themselves. These confidence building activities likewise contribute to the child’s healthy emotional development.
 Building a habit of concentration in each child – Effective learning presupposes the ability to listen carefully and to attend to what is said or demonstrated. Through a series of absorbing experiences, the child forms habits of extended attention, thus increasing his/her ability to concentrate.
 Fostering an abiding curiosity in each child – In a rapidly changing society, we will all be students at some time in our lives. A deep, persistent and abiding curiosity is a prerequisite for creative learning. By providing the child with opportunities to discover qualities, dimensions and relationships amidst a rich variety of stimulating learning situations, curiosity, which is an essential element in creative learning, is developed in the child.
 Developing habits of initiative and persistence in each child – By surrounding the child with appealing materials and learning activities geared to his inner needs, he/she becomes accustomed to engaging in activities on his/her own. Gradually, this results in a habit of initiative, which is an essential quality in leadership. “Ground rules” call for completing a task once begun and gradually results in a habit of persistence and perseverance for replacing materials after the task is accomplished. This “completion expectation” gradually results in a habit of persistence and perseverance.
 Fostering inner security and a sense of order in each child – Through a well ordered, enriched but simplified environment, the child’s need for order and security is intensely satisfied. This is noticed in the calming effect the environment has on the child. Since every item in the Montessori classroom has a place and the ground rules call for everything in its place, the child’s inner need for order is directly satisfied.