Our Programs
Toddlers
The Toddler Program, for children ages 2 to 3, is designed to assist the child in taking important first steps away from home into a nurturing, supportive and stimulating school environment. Children develop independence and respect for others, as well as acquire sensory, motor, practical life, language, pre-reading and -math skills.
Within the Toddler Room, the toddler-sized furniture, as well as the specially designed Montessori materials for this age group, provide an environment young children can explore with a sense of mastery. Activities are designed to promote self-care, develop gross and fine motor skills, foster increasing concentration and ability to absorb and follow multi-step directions and to develop social skills.
Toddler students learn to work independently in the classroom, taking materials from the shelves, completing the steps of their work and then returning the materials to the shelves. As they progress through the year, they begin to work collaboratively with friends and teachers.
Primary
In our Dual-Language Primary program 3-5 year-old students work cooperatively and independently in the prepared environment. Our traditional Montessori curriculum includes language skills, mathematics, reading and writing, geography, science, and culture. Beyond these focus areas, children are encouraged to become increasingly independent and active participants in the learning process.
Small groups and individual instruction characterize the program. Teachers move throughout the classroom, facilitating children’s work choices and social interactions as they carefully observe and record the key points of each child’s day. An open, three hour work period encourages children to develop concentration, to make their own choices, and to learn to manage increasing portions of their time independently.
The Primary program includes lessons and experiences with music, Spanish, and physical education including yoga, dance and movement. Like the traditional Montessori curriculum, these curricular areas are also taught in small group lessons as well as through individual materials. Every Primary classroom is led by a fluent Spanish speaker and is built to accommodate Spanish speaking students.
Lower Elementary
Our Dual Language Lower Elementary program is a 1st-3rd grade model Montessori classroom spread across 4 rooms, each with unique characteristics.
Our community room holds meetings, collaborative artwork and special group projects, presentations and performances. Here, our children continue developing their voices, their leadership traits, their comfort with group dynamics and hone problem solving skills.
A technology room gives our Elementary children a space to experiment with computer programming, robotics, engineering and the scientific method.
Our practice room allows students time to bring their skills to mastery as they manage their time and move their own way through the 3 year curriculum.
Finally, a library cove provides a special, secluded place for discovery both in chasing fantasies and researching new projects and interests to share with classmates.
Upper Elementary
In our Upper Elementary classroom (fourth through sixth grade, or ages nine to 12), content is not presented in “course subject” form; instead, ideas and concepts are explored across the breadth and to the depth demanded by the child. For example, flowers are not just observed in books or through the window. The flower (cultivated by the child) is brought into the environment, touched, named, identified by parts, compared and contrasted with other plants (temporally and historically), reviewed within its life cycle, located in the world, etc. Thus, education is more about experiencing and relationships than dissemination of isolated facts from a pre-selected course of study. The senses are engaged whenever possible, aiding in the child’s natural capacity to learn.
In the natural order of development, the child is now more capable of understanding the abstract and visionary elements of life. Thus, in the upper elementary, the child is further transitioning from concrete to abstract appreciation of life. The educational process continues to follow the child through its inherent flexibility and adaptability. The teacher remains the facilitator or guide, assessing and then challenging the child’s natural curiosity.
Social development takes on a more prominent development at this age. Individual morals and values are further established, particularly within the framework of peers. The sense of self is expanded beyond personal experience. Abstract experiencing through literature, arts, etc. further develops and can modify the child’s sense of self. Decision-making skills and problem-solving skills are self-tested, and success is qualified as learning from both the positive and negative experiences of life.