Enfants Razmataz was a dream that was realized in 2008. It was created in hopes of building an oasis for children at the preschool level. Over the years Razmataz developed like a child; complete with growing pains including hiccups, fevers and blisters. What started out as a small preschool for 45 children turned into a Learning Center serving over 100 families from Laval, Montreal and the North-Shore.

What is a Learning Center and what makes us different from other child-care facilities existing today?

Enfants Razmataz developed over the years to meet the growing demands of today’s children. Razmataz has discovered that not all children are the same. Cultural, language and social diversity has had an impact in our allophone population. Methods that were successful in educating children in the past are no longer pertinent. Children from different backgrounds with different value systems are being put together in an educational environment at a very young age. The result can be chaotic. What is acceptable at home is not acceptable in a group setting and what is acceptable in a group setting is not acceptable in the home.

Small children are expected to develop social cognizance and social cues that are acceptable in both environments. One of the biggest challenges children face today is finding routine, predictability, stability, acceptable boundaries and authority that is unvarying… a challenge indeed.

Razmataz has developed a philosophy that addresses the new challenges children face today. It’s not about recognizing shapes and colors anymore. It is about sharing and recognizing social cues. It is about resolving conflicts, understanding differences, taking responsibility for our actions. It includes respect for oneself and others. It highlights recognizing adults as elders to be respected. It is about learning self-control and being able to self-satisfy. It is about having the ability to say to an educator, “I don’t understand, please help me” instead of masking insecurity with anger or resentment. It is about understanding emotions and expressing them in an acceptable manner. It is about respecting the environment in which they live, learning rules understanding them and living by them.

In an increasingly complex world where x-box, computers and iPads dominate, young children are less exposed to interactive play. Obesity rates are soaring as are the incidence of chronic childhood illnesses, speech delays and behavioral problems. Parents think their child will learn the rules or be able to follow in kindergarten or in elementary school and then are surprised when their child is unable to sit and focus on work or follow instructions. Listen reader and listen well! More children are being diagnosed with learning difficulties than ever before and our school system is becoming saturated with children who cannot follow curriculum, whose attentions are shallow, unfocused and who are displaying ever -more widening learning delays.

Razmataz Learning Centre believes that intelligence is measured on a global scale and includes not only intellect, but emotional, cognitive, social and gross/fine motor development. The curriculum is based not only on learning letters or numbers, but understanding basic values like kindness, forgiveness, sharing, empathy and cooperation. They are taught to be part of a group and to take their place amongst their peers. They are offered leadership roles as well as supporting roles. Every child has something different to offer and every child has talents and skills unique to him. Razmataz’s mission is to recognize that all skills are needed in our society and that every child brings a unique talent for the good of the whole. The days of “me, myself and I” are becoming a thing of the past. Today, children need to learn that they have a role to play that includes recognizing that they are part of a larger scheme and respecting their environment.