History
Gaowa Piano Kindergarten based in Beijing China was founded by Hongmei (Gaowa) Zhao in 2001. Due to the outstanding formula of teaching and their unique arts program, the school quickly became a big success and expanded to two additional campuses. As of 2021, the school has three campuses in China and one in the US. Current enrollment is over 3,000 children with more than 500 on the waiting list.
The main philosophy of Gaowa Piano Kindergarten and Gaowa Montessori School are happiness, honesty, safety, inclusion of music and arts, the cultivation of children’s actions through healthy thinking, and a strong sense of expressing themselves.
Gaowa’s formula of music and arts into the educational curriculum along with strict focus on student safety and happiness has led to multiple awards in China. In 2003 Gaowa was awarded the “Advanced safe school without incident” by the Fengtai district of China. In 2004, the school was named in the top 20 Preschools and Kindergartens in China. In 2011, the school was awarded “Top Class Preschool and Kindergarten” and “Model base of early education” of Beijing.
The Montessori Method
Countless books and articles about Montessori have been published in nearly every language. Dr. Montessori first described her approach in Il Metodo della Pedagogia Scientifica applicato all’educazione infantile nelle Case dei Bambini, published in 1909. The book’s English-language version, succinctly titled The Montessori Method, was a ringing success on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 1929 Dr. Montessori established the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) to support the swell of Montessori schools, teacher education programs, and national organizations around the world.
Montessori Caught On Quickly
In the United States Montessori caught on quickly. Propelled by prominent advocates and glowing media reports. But by the 1920s the movement had fizzled, and 40 years would go by before Montessori schools would return in substantial numbers.
The leader of the American revival was Nancy McCormick Rambusch, a vibrant, persuasive educator intent on bringing about change. In 1960 Dr. Rambusch launched the American Montessori Society, the first—and still the largest—of several modern-era organizations supporting Montessori in America.
