PRE-PRIMARY PROGRAM
18 Months-36 Months
Program Options:
Two, Three or Five Days
Half Day 8:45am-11:45am
Full Day 8:45am-3:00pm
The pre-primary program enhances the children's knowledge and independence, while also helping to create a solid foundation and trust in their abilities. The environment is designed to appeal to the child's natural curiosity and to meet the diverse developmental needs of this age. It is a peaceful space where toddlers play a meaningful role in their own care, the care of their environment and social interactions.
Maria Montessori believed that a child's normal development is a series of small triumphs in independence. The classroom is prepared in such a way as to support these small steps while still allowing the child to focus on the ultimate goal of self-construction. The prepared environment offers a complete range of activities.
The Pre-Primary Curriculim
Practical Life
In this area, the child will experience real life situations and activities promoting dressing and undressing, sweeping, polishing and hand washing. There are also fine motor activities involving spoons, laddles, spreaders, small pitchers for pouring and tongs. The children love the food preperation lessons when they learn how to slice bananas, juice oranges and even make cinnamon toast.
Sensory Awareness
The child discovers the world around him through the use of his senses. In the Montessori method, sensorial activities include color, shape and size recognition by using multiple senses like touch and sight. Exploring different smells and tastes together can be another fun way to explore lessons. Listening and identifying sounds can be integrated into one lesson to enhance an activity.
Language Activities
Language activities build on the foundation established in the first two years of life. There is plenty of singing, finger plays, and "conversation" time make language learning fun. Bringing stories to life with felt boards or figurines is a favorite lesson in the toddler class. The environment also includes plenty of matching, ordering and naming.
Math
A "hands on" environment for learning concrete math concepts is provided for the children. A variety of materials are available for counting, number recognition and pattern activities.
Art
In the pre-primary classroom, art activities are always available and are open-ended with the focus on the process rather than the product.
Large Motor Development
Large motor development is encouraged through playground time and indoor activities as well as during music.
Social Development
Social development occurs throughout the entire morning routine as the children play with manipulatives like puzzles and blocks, participate in circle time, snack time, and story time.
