After the launch of our new kitchen premises in December in the Marbella industrial estate, we were excited to start working with our latest client Casa del Mar Montessori. We had the pleasure of sitting down for a chat with Ruth Coca, founder and director of the school who explained the Montessori learning system.

Thank you for taking the time to speak to us. Where did the idea of creating Casa del Mar come from?

I moved to Marbella from Madrid 3 years ago and couldn´t find an authentic Montessori school for my girls, and so I decided to start a small Children´s House of 9 kids which was initially in a smaller location. The school continued to grow, and with over 40 children aged 15 months to 12 years old, we had to move to a new larger building in San Pedro.

What is the Montessori Methodology?

Montessori was developed by Maria Montessori, M.D. who after observing children of 4 distinctive age groups concluded that they had an innate desire to be independent. The methodology offers freedom and autonomy within a structured environment and is based on a child-centred education which develops children socially, emotionally, academically and physically.

We call the teachers guides, and there are children of mixed ages in each classroom. Younger kids look to their peers for motivation, and in turn, the older students consolidate learning by presenting materials to their smaller friends in the environment.
If you´re interested in more information, take a look at this great video “What is Montessori in 18 min?”

How do you put this into practice?

We prepare the learning environment for each phase of development, and all the materials and activities are carefully selected and ready for the kids to choose from freely. We respect the stages of development and guide the children in the creation of their personality.

There is a considerable emphasis on self-sufficiency. As soon as children join the school, we show them how to change their shoes, clothes, prepare their fruit snack, wash dishes and help set the table. From here we keep on building their independence in different aspects of their physical, social and emotional growth.

With no punishment or reward system in a Montessori school, we work to build a child´s intrinsic motivation to understand the norms of society. We give them as much freedom and responsibility as possible for their development.

Finally, how important is nutrition and healthy eating for kids?

Teaching children the fundamental and necessary concept of “feeding myself” needs to start as soon as they are 6 months old and show curiosity in our food. It is such an incredible experience for an infant to start showing interest in our food and begin experimenting with textures, smells and flavours.

We then continue education around food and meals as something necessary for the human body to survive and thrive. With preparation and practice, all kids can become healthy, happy eaters!

In our environment, we have fruits, vegetables, boiled eggs, oats, lactose-free yoghurt and more as a snack in the morning and afternoon and the children love it! They prepare it for themselves and their friends and eat together.

We need creative food with plenty of textures, aromas and natural flavours. Feel Happy Food helps us provide the best nutritious and balanced meals with in-season ingredients for the kids to enjoy.

We are now planning a vegetable garden for planting seasonal veggies, aromatic herbs, medicinal plants and even a greenhouse!