When Sandhya Bagla says that little children are like tender buds, she also knows that like tender buds they need special handling, too.

They should be handled delicately, with love and care and with an understanding of what they need, which is what she herself tries to do in her nursery school.

Correct nurturing at this stage matters a lot, she feels, adding that:?Children are like clay, it depends as to how they are moulded.? Any pressure at this stage will simply kill the joy of learning, which she feels is a huge pity.

Learn with fun is her idea, and in her own school, she sees that it?s implemented. Colours, play tools, charts and modern teaching aids, are all used by the teachers to build the interest of the students.

?In our school in the pre-nursery section, children study with the help of teaching aids,? she says, adding that the objective is to simplify the learning process, and be innovative wherever possible.

?We encourage these methods of learning so that it becomes easy and simple,? she says. These efforts have not gone unnoticed by parents of the children, who are welcomed to come and see how the classes are run.

That it has yielded positive results is proved by the success rate their children have been getting while seeking admissions into bigger schools.

?We groom and educate the children in such a way that when they complete their montessori they can get admitted into one of the better schools of the city,? she says, happy that their efforts are paying off.

A home away from home is what she tries to create for the kids, focussing not only on studies, but also on music, dance and other creative pursuits, encouraging them to participate in sports and annual functions. A modern education, complemented with values, is what works, she points out.

Arti Sahuliyar