Early Childhood Program

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Children build important pre-writing and pre-reading skills through use of the Practical Life and Sensorial materials.

Children begin to explore mathematical relationships by manipulating concrete materials (such as golden beads that are designed to isolate a concept) and prepare them for abstract reasoning. 

Children acquire many daily living skills: preparing foods, caring for self and caring for their environment. These activities also help children extend their powers of concentration and develop coordinated movements, through activities such as pouring, scooping and tweezing. (Practical Life enhances the development of task organization and cognitive order through care of self, care of the environment, exercises of grace and courtesy, and coordination of physical movement). 

Children learn to identify and express their feelings in constructive, purposeful ways. They learn empathy and practice peaceful conflict resolution. Maria Montessori was a Peace Advocate. The Peace curriculum sits center stage in the Montessori classroom. Children and teachers work together to create peaceful, respectful communities using Maria Montessori’s original ideas such as the Peace Rose. 

Through interactions with sensorial materials (which isolate one quality, such as color or shape) children experience the world through their senses in a way that establishes the physical and mental foundation for further learning. Important math and language skills are also indirectly developed. 

 Children are exposed to basics in geography and history. In addition, these cultural activities allow for the integration of music, art, and movement into the cultural curriculum. Our goal is to inspire the child to feel the wonder and awe of the natural world and to gain a deeper understanding of it. 

Children experience the balance between the freedom of the individual and the concerns of the group. In addition to the everyday learning of responsibility of oneself, respect for others, and the care for the environment, we also plan several events that aid in the practice of social graces such as Mother’s Day Tea.