Early Childhood

An academic program for students 3-6 years old.

Our Montessori Early Childhood Program is based on the three-year cycle. Each child has the option to move through the curriculum independently or collaborate with others. This flexible structure allows students to develop leadership skills and self-discipline while learning how to learn. The class is ungraded, but students will receive regular assessments from teachers.

Full day, Monday-Friday (5 days/week)

 8:30 am – 3:00 pm

Half day, Monday-Friday (5 days/week) - Students 3 years old ONLY

 8:30 am – 12:00 pm

The Curriculum

The Early Childhood classroom offers your child 5 areas of study: Practical Life, Sensorial, Math, Language, and Cultural Studies.

Practical Life

Children learn daily life skills, such as how to get dressed, prepare snacks, set the table, and care for plants and animals. They also learn appropriate social skills , such as saying please and thank-you, being kind and helpful, listening without interrupting, and resolving conflicts peacefully. In addition Practical Life activities promote independence, and fine- and gross-motor coordination.

Sensorial

Children hone their ability to describe and name their experiences, classifying their surroundings, and creating order. Sensorial learning lays the foundation for learning math, geometry, and language.

Math

Through hands-on activities, children learn to identify numerals and match them to their quantity, understand place-value and the base-10 system. They also practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. With an exploratory approach, children do more than just memorize math facts; they gain a firm understanding of the meaning behind them.

Language

Language-driven activities help children acquire vocabulary and develop skills needed for writing and reading. Using hands-on materials, children learn letter sounds, how to combine sounds to make words, how to build sentences, and how to use a pencil. Once these skills are acquired, children spontaneously learn to read.

Cultural Studies

Subjects like history, geography, science, art, and music are integrated in the cultural area of the curriculum. Children learn about their own community and the world around them. Discovering similarities and differences among people and places helps children develop an understanding and appreciation of the diversity of our world, and a respect for all living things.

Kindergarten Included

Montessori is a continuum of education that allows your child to build upon experiences each year. Your child will stay in the Primary classroom for 3 years, including the traditional “kindergarten year” – when the seeds of learning come to fruition. Reading and writing come to life from sounds and symbols. She is introduced to numbers and the decimal system. She learns about geometric figures and the political countries of our world. She leaves the program with a strong set of academic skills; but, far more importantly, with the attitude that learning is fun, exciting and boundless.