SIX PILLARS
Our Montessori program is built on the “Six Pillars” which are designed to serve the needs of each child and their individual development.
These pillars are integrated throughout the classroom and also in the Discovery Room, which is a separate science and cultural classroom for our students to visit and discover.
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PRACTICAL LIFE
Through a wide variety of materials and activities, children learn how to care for themselves, the environment and each other.
They learn to master tasks such as pouring, stirring and scooping, using kitchen utensils, washing dishes, polishing, and scrubbing. Children also learn to take care of basic self-care needs: to dress themselves, tie their shoes, wash their hands.
Concentration, attention to detail, language and fine motor skills perfected in Practical Life helps prepare the child for more complex forms of learning as well as the demands of living.
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SENSES
A hallmark of the Montessori Method is its focus on the senses. Dr. Montessori taught that perception through the senses precedes intellectual activity and that an appeal to the senses is the best way to fully engage the child in learning.
Hence, the Montessori Method utilizes a materials-centered approach, drawing children to select, and make tactile contact with, objects specifically designed to impart conceptual frameworks or skills.
A true Montessori classroom is recognizable by an array of standardized, aesthetically appealing objects made of natural materials such as rock, cloth, paper, and wood. In addition to learning, the child develops an appreciation of beauty and of nature.
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CULTURE
With a foundation of respect for the dignity of all individuals and a high regard for new experiences, it is no surprise that a Montessori education puts major emphasis on diversity and cultural understanding.
From an early age, children are exposed to maps, stories and facts about various regions and peoples across the globe, presented in ways that pique their imagination and inspire them to explore the many facets of the world’s cultures.
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SCIENCE
Children are born with a natural curiosity and inquisitiveness, beginning with their natural surroundings. As they learn about birds, animals, plants and other natural phenomena, they press for more and more details.
Our science curriculum takes place in the Discovery Room which builds on your child's wonder and offers activities that allow them to discover answers on their own.
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LANGUAGE
From the child’s earliest years, this curriculum incorporates everything from vocabulary development to reading and writing. Children begin by feeling and tracing letters cut from sandpaper and glued to a wooden board. They begin to construct words using a moveable alphabet, even before they can actually read them.
With the high degree of interactivity that happens in the classroom, and, often, exposure to older children with more advanced verbal skills, Montessori children generally develop excellent language abilities from an early age.
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MATH
From an early age, Montessori children begin to develop a solid understanding of math. Building on colors and shapes introduced in the sensorial component of learning to convey basic concepts like numbers, counting, squares, cubes, triangles and other math fundamentals, children are able to cross more seamlessly into the world of abstract concepts and theoretical understanding required by more advanced forms of mathematics and logic.