The Preschool Program
The Montessori approach to education embraces individualized instruction for each child, a structured curriculum, and a prepared environment, using specialized Montessori materials.
Using the Montessori method, the teacher provides a sequence of tasks sufficiently challenging and interesting to engage the child. These tasks or activities are broken down into five areas of learning: Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language and Cultural Subjects.
Primary Schedule Options: (Extended care included with tuition)
Half Day, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Extended care from 7 am, no afternoon extended care)
Full Day, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Extended care from 7 am until 6 pm)
The Five Areas of Learning
PRACTICAL LIFE
Practical Life develops a child’s attention to detail and the ability to focus. Prepared from things found in our daily environment, Practical Life is a forerunner to language development. The activities progress from left to right and top to bottom in preparation for reading.
SENSORIAL LEARNING
The Sensorial environment develops a child’s sensory perceptions. Materials on the shelves invite the child to explore the areas of their five senses. Sequential thinking and organizational skills are set in place. These qualities prepare the child’s mind for mathematics.
MATHEMATICS
Montessori Mathematics begins with the concrete concepts and moves toward the abstract. Hands on materials develop a clear association between quantities and their symbols. Children delight in the discovery of fractions, money counting and the telling of time. Ranging from sandpaper number identification and writing numerals to performing operations with the decimal system materials, the math program offers a foundation for future advanced mathematics.
LANGUAGE
The Montessori Language program embraces phonetic reading, writing and vocabulary skills. Sound identification and letter formation are taught at an early age with the use of sandpaper letters. The reading program is phonetic with phonogram decoding skills and sight reading.
CULTURAL SUBJECTS
Cultural Subjects are science, music and art. Children learn about animal life, people and their cultures through music, materials, cooking and holiday celebrations, all of which are integrate into their classroom environment. Spanish language skills are offered to children three years old through kindergarten.
Geography introduces the child to our solar system and the planet Earth. Children delight in becoming familiar with the oceans and continents. They study the biomes while learning about ecology and gain a sense of responsibility towards caring for their home: Earth.